Chuks Oyema-Aziken
Contestants of the third edition of Teachers Naija, the Nigerian reality TV show, have described the initiative as capable of changing the face of the educational sector in the country.
The 2022 Edition kicked off on Saturday with 19 housemates vying for over N20 million worth of prizes. This year’s event has as theme ‘The Smart Teacher’.
Mbadugha Dorcas, a nursery school teacher from Port Harcourt, said she was motivated by the wins of the previous housemates.
“I saw the show last year and this year and I felt if I participate in the show, I have a lot to learn from my fellow teachers from the different parts of the country. We’ll also learn from what will be taught in the house, it’s all about learning and that’s why I love the show,” she said.
Richard Nnanna, another housemate who is a science teacher from Lagos, said the teachers’ ability to showcase their talents and express themselves more freely would change the education sector in Nigeria.
“The show gives exposure and exposure simply means people who don’t have knowledge of the issues that we have in society. By watching the show and getting to learn one or two things from there, stakeholders and more sponsors will buy into education because they’re seeing things that they’re not used to,” he said
Teachers Naija is an initiative of Anub Media Limited, with the winner going home with N10 million, while the first and second runners-up will get N7 million and N5 million respectively.
The inaugural edition in 2019 saw the winner, first and second runners-up going home with N1.5 million, N1 million, and N500,000 respectively.
In its second edition in 2021, the show’s winner was awarded a 2-bedroom flat in Abuja and the sum of N2 million cash prize while the first and the second runners-up got N1.5 million and N1 million respectively.
At the opening ceremony on Friday, Enuagwuna Ubaka, the show’s convener, said the essence of the show is to change the narrative of the teaching profession.
“The show is about letting people know that teachers deserve more and that what is being given currently is not commensurate with what they are giving to society,” Ubaka said.
“I mean these are the people that train the future generation and they deserve to be recognised. If other shows give out a lot of money to their participants, I think teachers deserve more because they have more impact.”
With this year’s event themed ‘The Smart Teacher’, Ubaka said the housemates who were selected randomly across the country were prioritised based on their intellectual capabilities.
He added that they would be required to carry out mental-based tasks in the house.
“For you to come into the house you must be very smart so we’re giving them tasks that will test their mental capabilities and we have professional judges that will also look at how strong they are mental. We have mental-based tasks, so questions, and researches and exercises that will drill them,” he said.
Meanwhile, one of the contestants, Isaac has emerged as Head of the house.
The show is expected to last from October 22nd to November 21st, 2022.
