The [Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria_Union_of_Teachers) has appealed to all tiers of government to address teachers’ welfare, recruitment, working conditions, professional development and security, stressing that the education sector cannot advance without a supported and motivated teaching force.
The call comes as Nigeria observes the 2026 World Teachers’ Day, which also marks the 60th anniversary of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation on the Status of Teachers. The chosen theme, “Standing with Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing its Status and Shaping our Future,” underscores the milestone.
Speaking on Monday at the national ceremony held in Eagle Square, Abuja, NUT National President Comrade Audu Titus Amba, represented by Deputy Elder Kalu Kizito, asserted that teachers should be seen not merely as policy implementers but as nation‑builders deserving proper recognition, remuneration and support.
The union’s agenda includes higher salaries and welfare benefits, better working environments, sustained recruitment and retention programmes, continuous professional development, responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI), greater teacher involvement in policy formulation and enhanced security for both teachers and pupils.
**Salary structure remains major concern**
A pressing issue highlighted is the continued delay in applying the special salary structure approved for teachers in 2022. Amba noted that four years on, the structure has yet to be operational and urged governments to move beyond mere announcements and establish a clear implementation mechanism.
“A motivated teacher is an asset to national development,” he emphasized.
The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) also advocated for a distinct salary framework that recognises teaching as a separate profession. Its National President, Comrade Olusola Adigun, pointed out that the 27.5 % increment sanctioned for teachers remains unimplemented in several states and called on authorities to attract “talented and highly qualified graduates” into the teaching workforce.
**Recruitment gaps persist**
NUT raised alarms over teacher shortages, especially in rural and hard‑to‑reach areas, noting that some states have gone years without adequate recruitment, leaving existing teachers overburdened. The union urged continuous recruitment drives and incentives to retain staff in underserved locations.
In Gombe, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, represented by the Chairperson of the State Teachers’ Service Commission, Mrs Naomi Philip Maiguwa, pledged the recruitment of additional teachers before year‑end, noting that over 1,000 teachers have been hired since 2019.
Nevertheless, Gombe NUT Chairman Ali Baba Dalhatu appealed for the settlement of outstanding leave grants and full professional allowances, stating that local‑government teachers receive only half of what is due. He also urged the state to extend service years from 35 to 40 and raise the retirement age from 60 to 65.
In Akwa Ibom, Governor Umo Eno approved the recruitment of another 2,000 teachers, adding to the 1,000 recently hired, but cautioned that passing the computer‑based test does not automatically guarantee employment.
Ekiti teachers marking World Teachers Day yesterday Photo: Raphael Ogbonnaiye
**Welfare measures in the states**
Governor Eno also sanctioned a N50,000 wardrobe allowance for each of the state’s 20,000 teachers and a N500,000 grant for each of the 1,776 registered private schools to support their staff. He declared a state of emergency in education and ordered a comprehensive sector review.
He reported that the state had released N15 billion as its SUBEB matching grant, intervened in over 100 schools, continued payment of teachers’ gratuities and covered examination fees for 172,000 students.
In Ekiti, Governor Biodun Oyebanji announced N70.5 million in rewards for outstanding teachers, noted the recruitment of 5,530 teachers over four years and confirmed that all 203 public secondary schools now have ICT laboratories. The NUT and ASUSS praised the efforts but urged the settlement of pending leave allowances and other entitlements.
In Lagos, Damilola Feyide, founder of Let It Shine Academy – a free private boarding school – described teachers as the “bedrock” of the institution. Having taught occasionally herself, she said she understands the demands of the profession, “but they do this day in, day out.”
She explained that the school provides teachers with accommodation, meals and health insurance, and organises regular training, quarterly team‑bonding activities and retreats. “We just make sure that our teachers are looked after personally and professionally because you can’t give what you don’t have,” she added.
**Infrastructure remains uneven**
Despite such initiatives, infrastructure gaps persist. In Calabar, Cross River State, teachers and Parent‑Teacher Association (PTA) officials decried poor facilities. At Government Technical Secondary School, Ikot Effanga, stakeholders complained of inadequate toilets and furniture, while at Government Secondary School, Unwanse, residents reported dilapidated roofs, desks, doors and floors despite a recent facelift of the entrance gate.
Teacher Asuquo Edem lamented the lack of celebration due to the shortage of government‑employed teachers. PTA chairman Clifford Akpan revealed that parents have resorted to hiring teachers themselves, paying each N20,000.
State Commissioner for Education Senator Steven Odey acknowledged the deficit, attributing it to years of underfunding and neglect, and noted that the state accessed N17.01 billion in UBEC intervention funds between 2023 and 2025.
Meanwhile, the [Federal Government](https://www.nigeria.gov.ng) has pledged to strengthen teachers’ welfare and working conditions.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, asserted that “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, reiterated that teacher welfare and retention remain priorities and that the government is working toward a more coherent national system for teacher development and certification.
The NUT president, however, warned that teachers must first receive digital devices, reliable internet, electricity and technical support before being expected to adopt emerging technologies. He called for training in digital pedagogy and ethical AI use, stating, “Technology must empower the teacher, not diminish the teacher.”
Alausa agreed that such tools could aid instruction but stressed that “the judgement, encouragement and human connection of a skilled teacher remain indispensable.”
**Unity, command schools face challenges**
Amba cited alleged restrictions on teachers seeking to join the NUT, stagnation of Education Officers at the directorate cadre for 13‑15 years, non‑payment of arrears and promotion benefits, and alleged denial of unionisation rights in some institutions under the Ministries of Defence and Police Affairs and the Department of State Services. He urged the Federal Ministry of Education to intervene.
The NUT also opposed the reported concession of King’s College, Lagos, to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association under a public‑private partnership arrangement, arguing that school management should not be transferred to a private body. The union called for the reversal of the deal and for stakeholder consultation.
**Other states’ demands**
In Kano, NUT Chairman Baffa Ibrahim Garko asked the state government to declare October 5 a public holiday. He praised Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for regular salary payments and infrastructure projects but demanded parity in pay and conditions between basic and post‑primary teachers, improved allowances, more recruitment and the settlement of outstanding promotion benefits.
The FCT chairman of ASUSS, Julius Ogundiran, appealed for additional teachers as current staff retire, and for housing, noting that some teachers sleep in classrooms while others spend a large portion of their income commuting.
In Taraba, NUT Chairman Nathan Solomon urged the state to consider experienced teachers for appointment as permanent secretaries.
**Teachers’ welfare: How far has gov’t kept its promises?**
Successive federal administrations have made numerous commitments on teachers’ welfare, remuneration and status. Some have been codified or partially executed, while many remain largely unfulfilled, especially for state‑employed teachers.
The Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, which raises the retirement age from 60 to 65 and extends service years from 35 to 40, has been domesticated by about 22 states. Kaduna began implementation in August 2025 and Niger in January 2026, but more than a dozen states have yet to adopt it.
The Teachers’ Special Salary Scale approved in 2022 has not been rolled out for the vast majority of state‑employed teachers.
By late 2026, the NUT had issued ultimatums to 19 states over unpaid salaries, citing Kogi (15 months of fractional pay), Benue (10 months), Bayelsa (about 8.5 months) and Ekiti (six months). Ten states have only partially implemented the new minimum wage for teachers, while four have not.
Stakeholders also highlighted promised bursaries for education students that have yet to become a uniform national scheme.
**Reports by:** Jide Olusola, Maureen Onochie (Abuja); Iniabasi Umo (Uyo); Eyo Charles (Calabar); Salim Umar Ibrahim (Kano); Rabilu Abubakar, Haruna Gimba Yaya (Gombe); Raphael Ogbonnaiye (Ado‑Ekiti); Magaji Isa Hunkuyi (Jalingo); Dotun Omisakin (Lagos)