The Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, FCT Wing, has urged the government to improve the remuneration, welfare packages, and prompt promotion for teachers in the Federal Capital Territory. This call was made in Abuja as the world marked this year’s World Teachers’ Day, highlighting the contributions of teachers to education and national development. The union emphasized the need for better working conditions and incentives to motivate teachers.
Chairman of the NUT, FCT Wing, Comrade Abdullahi Shafa, stated that teachers deserved to enjoy the reward of their labour while still alive, rather than relying on the popular saying that teachers’ rewards are in Heaven. He identified poor remuneration, inadequate accommodation, insecurity, kidnappings, and unconducive teaching environments as challenges confronting teachers across the country. Shafa stressed that the implementation of the minimum wage should reflect the professional status and responsibilities of teachers.
Comrade Shafa urged state governments to judiciously utilise available resources to rehabilitate schools, improve teachers’ welfare, and provide accommodation for teachers posted to difficult locations. He also called for improved salaries, stressing that teachers are facing a lot of problems, ranging from remuneration issues to security threats and kidnapping of union members. The NUT-FCT Chairman appealed to the government to use resources judiciously in rehabilitating, renovating, and rebuilding schools.
State Secretary of the NUT, FCT Wing, Comrade Margaret Jethro, attested to schools being renovated across the territory but said more needed to be done to make teaching attractive to young people. She noted that teachers perform a critical role in shaping individuals and society, but inadequate remuneration and poor welfare have contributed to the declining interest in the teaching profession. Jethro specifically called for the removal of vacancy as a precondition for teachers’ promotion in the FCT.
Comrade Jethro explained that the policy had stagnated many teachers for years, and promotion is a major morale booster for workers. She advocated for the provision of housing quarters for teachers, stressing that renovating schools without adequately motivating teachers would not produce the desired results. Jethro emphasized that until teachers are properly taken care of, nothing will work well.
Treasurer of the NUT, FCT Wing, Comrade Mamud Ameh, criticised the vacancy precondition for teachers’ promotion in the FCT, describing it as an inappropriate policy for teachers. He confirmed that FCT teachers receive their salaries regularly but insisted that the current remuneration is inadequate in view of the rising cost of living. Ameh urged the government to prioritise teachers’ welfare, stressing that a motivated teacher would contribute significantly to improved education and national development.
The Minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, represented by the Secretary of the FCT Education Secretariat, Dr Danlami Hayyo, reaffirmed the FCT Administration’s commitment to promoting quality education and teachers’ welfare for national development. He commended teachers in the Federal Capital Territory for their dedication, sacrifice, and commitment to educating and nurturing the next workforce. The theme of the World Teachers’ Day 2026 is: “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures.”
Key points
- The Nigeria Union of Teachers, FCT Wing, calls for improved remuneration and welfare packages for teachers.
- The union urges the government to judiciously utilise resources to rehabilitate schools and improve teachers’ welfare.
- The FCT Administration reaffirms its commitment to promoting quality education and teachers’ welfare for national development.
