The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called on governments at all levels to address teachers' welfare, recruitment, working conditions, professional development, and security. The union made this demand on the occasion of the 2026 World Teachers' Day, which also marks the 60th anniversary of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. NUT National President Comrade Audu Titus Amba emphasized that teachers should be regarded as nation builders, deserving of proper recognition, remuneration, and support.
The union's demands cover a range of issues, including better pay and welfare, improved working conditions, recruitment and retention, continuous professional development, responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI), greater teacher participation in policymaking, and stronger security for teachers and pupils. A major concern is the delay in implementing the special salary structure approved for teachers in 2022, which has yet to take effect four years later. Amba urged the government to move beyond announcements and set up a clear implementation mechanism.
The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) also called for a special salary structure recognizing teaching as a distinct profession. Its National President, Comrade Olusola Adigun, said the 27.5 percent increment approved for teachers had not been implemented in some states. He urged governments to attract "talented and highly qualified graduates" into teaching. The NUT also raised concerns over teacher shortages, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach communities, saying some states had gone years without adequate recruitment, leaving teachers overworked.
In Gombe, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya announced that more teachers would be recruited before the end of the year. He said his administration had recruited over 1,000 teachers since 2019. However, Gombe NUT Chairman Ali Baba Dalhatu called for the payment of outstanding leave grants and full professional allowances, saying local government teachers receive only half. He also urged the state to extend service years from 35 to 40 and retirement age from 60 to 65.
In Akwa Ibom, Governor Umo Eno approved the recruitment of another 2,000 teachers, in addition to 1,000 recently employed. He also approved a N50,000 wardrobe allowance for each of the state's 20,000 teachers and N500,000 for each of the 1,776 registered private schools to support their teachers. In Ekiti, Governor Biodun Oyebanji announced N70.5 million in rewards for outstanding teachers. He said the state had recruited 5,530 teachers in four years and equipped all 203 public secondary schools with ICT laboratories.
Despite these efforts, infrastructure remains a concern in many schools. In Calabar, Cross River State, teachers and Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) officials lamented poor facilities, including inadequate toilets and furniture, and dilapidated buildings. The state Commissioner for Education, Senator Steven Odey, acknowledged the deficit, blaming years of underfunding and neglect. He said the state accessed N17.01 billion in UBEC intervention funds between 2023 and 2025.
The Federal Government has pledged to strengthen teachers' welfare and working conditions. The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said teachers deserve professional respect, opportunities to develop throughout their careers, appropriate resources, fair recognition, and good working conditions that enable them to teach well. The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, said teacher welfare and retention remained priorities, and that the government was working towards a more coherent national system for teacher development and certification.
Key points
- The Nigeria Union of Teachers demands better pay, jobs, and security for educators.
- The union also calls for improved working conditions, recruitment and retention, and continuous professional development.
- Governments at all levels have pledged to address teachers' welfare and working conditions.
