Union Bank Shifts From Donor To Ecosystem Builder As Maltina Teacher Of The Year Enters 12th Edition
Rashidat O. Okunlade Writes
Union Bank of Nigeria has used the flag-off of the 12th edition of the Maltina Teacher of the Year Competition (MTOTY) to issue a pointed challenge to the financial sector: stop acting like donors and start building ecosystems.
The Bank, now in its third consecutive year as a partner to the competition organised by Nigerian Breweries Plc and the Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, joined educators and stakeholders in Lagos on Monday for a panel session examining how educational support can improve learning outcomes for both teachers and students.
But it was Union Bank’s Chief Brand and Marketing Officer, Olufunmilola Aluko, who shifted the conversation from corporate social responsibility to strategic necessity.
“At Union Bank, we believe education is not a social obligation. It is a strategic investment,” Aluko said. “A nation that does not invest in its teachers and its learners is borrowing from its own future, and we are in the business of building futures, not mortgaging them.”
She pointed to Edu360, the Bank’s flagship education initiative under the UnionCares platform as proof of that conviction. Unlike isolated interventions, Edu360 spans the entire education value chain: expanding access for children in underserved communities, investing in teacher development, building digital literacy and STEM capabilities, and preparing young people for employment or entrepreneurship.
A challenge to peers
Aluko did not stop at outlining her Bank’s efforts. She turned the spotlight on the wider financial industry.
“Financial institutions need to stop thinking of ourselves as donors and start thinking of ourselves as ecosystem builders,” she said. “We can embed financial literacy into school curricula, design products that help parents save for their children’s education, and convene policymakers, educators and the private sector around shared goals. Above all, we can show up consistently, not only when it suits our brand calendars.”
She noted that lasting change requires sustained public-private collaboration, pointing to the competition’s ₦100 million grand prize as an example of the signal sent when institutions commit to teachers at scale. With twelve editions completed and more than three hundred teachers recognised to date, Aluko described MTOTY as a model of consistency, the same consistency Union Bank aims to embody through Edu360.
A message to teachers
Her closing words were reserved for Nigerian educators.
“To every teacher in this country, what you do is not small,” she said. “Your story deserves to be told, and Nigeria needs to know your name.”
Union Bank’s participation aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4, which advocates for inclusive and equitable quality education. The partnership reflects the Bank’s broader commitment to social impact and sustainable development across its operational communities.
