The African Union Commission (AUC) celebrated World Teachers' Day 2025 on Friday, October 3, with the presentation of the AU Continental Teachers' Awards to nine outstanding educators from across Africa during the closing ceremony of the Pan African Conference on Teacher Education (PACTED 2025) at AUC Headquarters in Addis Ababa.

The awards, presented under the theme "Celebrating the Teaching Profession," honored exceptional teachers who have demonstrated innovation, dedication, and transformative impact in advancing education across the continent. H.E. Professor Gaspard Banyankimbona, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI), delivered celebration remarks recognizing educators who exemplify excellence in teaching at early learning, primary, and secondary levels.

The 2025 edition of the AU Continental Teachers' Awards was launched through a call for participation to Ministries of Education across AU Member States, requesting nomination of two outstanding teachers—one male and one female—who had previously won awards at national or country levels. Following a rigorous selection process managed by the Head of Education Division in collaboration with a selection committee comprising civil society representatives, development agencies, and education experts, nine exceptional educators were chosen from the five geographic regions of the African Union.

The 2025 AU Continental Teachers' Award recipients are:

West Africa: Mr. Allen A. Thomas from Liberia, a pioneer in hands-on science instruction using locally available materials who founded the Best Teacher Initiative to equip rural educators with practical skills in innovation and digital literacy; and Dr. Peace Sule from Nigeria, celebrated as Nigeria's Best Teacher (2024) and a Top 50 Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize (2023), who leads teacher networks empowering thousands while pioneering the AEIOU Square Learners' Behaviour Model and establishing 10 literacy centers in underserved communities.

Southern Africa: Ms. Ntombozuko Mkizwana from South Africa, the first female principal of Mandela School of Science & Technology with a 28-year legacy pioneering computer literacy, mobile libraries, and STEM programs in rural education; and Mr. Robert Jama from Botswana, a Senior Teacher with 29 years of experience in Art and Design, awarded for best National examination results in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

East Africa: Ms. Jepkosgei Chemoiwa from Kenya, a Physics and Mathematics educator with 15 years of experience who serves as Master Trainer in livestreaming and virtual laboratories, pioneering digital tools and gamification platforms to make learning interactive and engaging, and Mr. Sachitanand Ramdhonee from Mauritius, recipient of the STEM Excellence Gold Award (2024), whose Kaizen DT platform extends learning beyond the classroom

North Africa: Dr. Ahmed Elwan from Egypt, with 28 years teaching Arabic language and literature, author of three books, and recipient of the Mohamed bin Zayed Award for Best Teacher in the Arab World (2023), who has spearheaded over 22 community initiatives promoting literacy and social solidarity; and Ms. Chaabane Naoures from Tunisia, a distinguished theatre educator and professional actress recognized as a pioneer in integrating STEM, arts, and artificial intelligence into education to foster creativity and inclusion.

Central Africa: Mr. Habyambere Sebahashi Jean-Paul from the Democratic Republic of Congo, an educator with over 30 years of experience who transforms classrooms into engaging spaces and advocates for systemic reforms addressing challenges facing African teachers.

Each award recipient received a Certificate of Recognition and a cash prize of US$10,000, with recipients from Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa, Liberia and Tunisia receiving an additional US$2,000 bonus for exceptional contributions in rural schools. The awards, established in 2019 as a flagship initiative under the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA), aim to enhance visibility and status of teachers, promote teaching as a profession, and celebrate outstanding educators across the continent.

Commissioner Banyankimbona encouraged the awardees to continue their noble mission in shaping the future of the continent and announced plans to explore establishing a new Rural Continental Teacher Award to recognize teachers working in hard-to-reach communities.

The AU Continental Teachers' Awards align with the newly launched AU Decade of Education 2025-2034, CESA 2026-2035, and Agenda 2063, positioning teachers as key drivers of Africa's sustainable development and educational transformation.

For further information, please contact:

Ms Claudette Chancelle BILAMPASSI MOUTSATSI | ESTI Department- Pan African University | African Union Commission | E-mail: BilampassiC@africanunion.org  | Tel: +251 11 518 2014/ +251 11 5182518 |