The African Forum for Innovative Teachers (AFFiT), in partnership with the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), has recorded another significant milestone in advancing teacher education and research excellence with the successful hosting of the maiden edition of the 2026 AFFiT National Women in Education Award and Research Fellowship Induction Ceremony.
Held at the Muhammad Gambo Hamza Hall, FCT College of Education, Zuba, Abuja, the event brought together education leaders, policymakers, researchers, and outstanding female academics from Colleges of Education across Nigeria to celebrate excellence in teaching, research, innovation, and academic leadership.
Celebrating Outstanding Women in Academia
The maiden edition of the National Women in Education Award attracted more than 200 female lecturers from over 50 Colleges of Education nationwide, all of whom underwent a rigorous process of nominations, screening, interviews, and research evaluation.
Following the comprehensive assessment, 124 exceptional women scholars were formally inducted into the prestigious AFFiT Research Fellowship Community, joining a growing network of educators committed to transforming education through research, innovation, collaboration, mentorship, and continuous professional development.
The initiative reflects AFFiT’s commitment to building a stronger education system by recognizing and empowering women whose work continues to shape the future of teacher education in Nigeria and across Africa.
“The Birth of a Movement”
In his keynote address, the Director-General of AFFiT, Dr. Ogah Emmanuel Edeoja, described the occasion as “the birth of a movement” dedicated to empowering women to become leaders in research, innovation, and educational transformation.
He noted that the Research Fellowship is far more than an honorary recognition; it represents a lifelong commitment to advancing educational excellence through collaborative research, mentorship, capacity development, and professional leadership.
Dr. Emmanuel also announced the launch of the AFFiT Certified Research Excellence Programme (ACREP), a professional certification initiative designed to strengthen the research capacity of Fellows. The programme will provide training in academic writing, research ethics, artificial intelligence applications in research, grant proposal development, scholarly publishing, and other globally relevant competencies required for modern scholarship.
NCCE Commends AFFiT’s Commitment to Teacher Education
Delivering the goodwill message of the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Dr. (Mrs.) Angela Ajala, FNAE, represented by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mallam Garba Mohammed Koko, congratulated the newly inducted Fellows and award recipients for distinguishing themselves through scholarship, innovation, and academic excellence.
The Commission commended AFFiT for complementing its efforts to improve the quality of teacher education in Nigeria and for creating meaningful opportunities that empower women academics to contribute more effectively to national development.
The Executive Secretary further expressed confidence that the Fellowship and Awards would motivate more female scholars to pursue excellence in teaching, research, and leadership while strengthening the capacity of Colleges of Education to produce globally competitive teachers.
A Call for Innovation and Educational Transformation
The Chairman of the occasion, His Royal Majesty Dr. Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa, CFR, Lamido of Adamawa, represented by Prof. Abba Tahir, described the emergence of AFFiT as a timely intervention for Africa’s education sector.
He emphasized that Africa’s future depends on the quality of education provided today and challenged educators and institutions to embrace innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, and artificial intelligence as essential tools for educational transformation.
According to him, educational institutions must move beyond producing job seekers and instead nurture innovators, researchers, and solution providers capable of addressing Africa’s developmental challenges.
He also called on governments, development partners, educational institutions, and the private sector to increase investments in teacher development, educational research, digital infrastructure, curriculum innovation, and emerging technologies that will prepare learners for a rapidly evolving global economy.
Rewarding Excellence
One of the most inspiring moments of the ceremony was the presentation of awards to outstanding women educators whose remarkable contributions to education and research earned national recognition.
The overall winner received a cash prize of ₦2 million, while six outstanding participants received ₦500,000 each, and twenty-three additional awardees were rewarded with ₦200,000 each.
To further encourage educational excellence, AFFiT announced a scholarship for one girl-child in the overall winner’s school. In recognition of her exceptional impact on education, one of AFFiT’s flagship programmes will also be named after the winner’s institution.
These initiatives reaffirm AFFiT’s belief that investing in educators creates a multiplier effect that benefits learners, institutions, communities, and the nation at large.
Launch of AWIRELAP Pioneer Committee
The ceremony also marked the inauguration of the Pioneer Women Research Fellows Committee for the African Women in Research, Education and Leadership Advancement Project (AWIRELAP).
AWIRELAP is a ten-year continental initiative established to identify, mentor, train, support, and connect thousands of women researchers across Africa, creating pathways for collaboration, leadership, and global academic impact.
The project seeks to strengthen the participation of women in research and educational leadership while fostering a vibrant network of scholars committed to solving Africa’s educational challenges through evidence-based research and innovation.
Building the Future of African Education
Participants described the maiden edition of the AFFiT National Women in Education Award and Research Fellowship Induction Ceremony as a historic milestone that will significantly strengthen educational institutions, promote research excellence, and empower women scholars to take leading roles in shaping the future of education across Africa.
As AFFiT continues to expand its partnerships and programmes, the organisation remains steadfast in its vision of becoming a leading forum that celebrates and betters the lives of exceptional African teachers, catalysing innovation in the teaching profession to shape the future of education across the African continent.
The success of this maiden edition reinforces AFFiT’s commitment to recognising excellence, developing research capacity, fostering strategic partnerships, and building a new generation of educators whose work will contribute meaningfully to sustainable educational development in Africa.