Lagos Teacher Questions Lack of Recognition for One-Day Governor Mentors

Lagos Teacher Questions Lack of Recognition for One-Day Governor Mentors
Shogbuyi recounted coaching several winners over the years without formal recognition
The One-Day Governor initiative in Lagos State is organised annually by the Office of the First Lady

A Lagos-based teacher, Dr Adebola Shogbuyi, has sparked debate over the recognition of educators in Lagos State, questioning why teachers who mentor students that emerge as One-Day Governors are not publicly acknowledged.

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Eko Hot Blog reports that in a Facebook post on Tuesday, Shogbuyi tagged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and asked why teachers who play “critical roles” in preparing students for the prestigious competition remain invisible while students receive accolades, gifts, and applause.

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“They stand radiant in well-tailored apparel, stepping confidently into highly deserved positions as One-Day Governors. The celebrations, the gifts, the applause every bit of it is beautiful.

“But I ask a simple question: Why are the students celebrated, while those who shape them remain invisible? Why does nobody ever speak about us?” she wrote.

Shogbuyi, who previously taught at Immaculate Heart Comprehensive Senior School, Maryland, Lagos, recounted coaching several winners over the years without formal recognition.

According to her, she produced the One-Day Deputy Governor in 2016 but was neither invited to celebrations nor acknowledged when the student later travelled to Finland.

She also highlighted achievements between 2021 and 2025, stating that she worked alongside colleagues — Abike Okin, Mr Sekinat Adeleke-Akinborode, and Mr John Wesley — to produce multiple winners, including Jemima Marcus in 2021 and Abdurahman AbdulAzeez in 2022.

In 2025, she said, her district achieved a historic sweep of first, second, and third positions in the competition.

“A historic feat. Yet, we were absent from the celebrations,” she lamented.

Lagos Teacher Questions Lack of Recognition for One-Day Governor Mentors — Governor of Lagos State. Babajide Sanwo Olu with the winner of the spelling bee competition, Miss Etiyemonu Esther. Credit: X | jidesanwoolu

Shogbuyi clarified that her message was not a plea for sympathy but a call for systemic change.

“For every celebrated winner, there is an unseen teacher, and until that changes, the story remains incomplete,” she said.

Her post has since generated reactions on social media, with many users agreeing that teachers deserve greater recognition and improved welfare.

The One-Day Governor initiative in Lagos State is organised annually by the Office of the First Lady in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, under the New Era Foundation established by Senator Oluremi Tinubu in 2001. The programme promotes academic excellence, leadership skills, and civic responsibility among secondary school students.

Winners assume leadership positions for a day including governor, deputy governor, and speaker — and participate in official engagements and mentorship programmes.

While widely celebrated for inspiring young leaders, Shogbuyi’s comments have now opened a broader conversation about whether the educators behind these achievements receive adequate recognition.