Benue teachers endorse Alia for second term

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Benue State wing, has endorsed Governor Hyacinth Alia for a second term, citing his administration’s interventions in basic education and improvements in teachers’ welfare.

The union announced the endorsement during the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration at IBB Square, Makurdi, on Monday, saying the administration’s policies had strengthened teachers’ confidence in the governor’s leadership.

NUT State Chairman, Akuma Levi Terna, who announced the decision, acknowledged the government’s investment in basic education and attention to teachers’ welfare, urging Alia to sustain the reforms.

The celebration had the theme, “Standing with Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing its Status and Shaping Our Futures.”

In his address, Alia, represented by Deputy Governor Sam Ode, said his administration had recruited more than 9,000 teachers, constructed and renovated 435 classrooms and provided more than 13,000 pieces of school furniture.

He also listed the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, 36 libraries and 25 school boreholes among the government’s interventions.

According to the governor, more than 8,900 teachers had benefited from professional development programmes, while the administration was implementing a N150 million monthly school grant scheme.

He said the government had also introduced Project BRACE-UP to support the enrolment of out-of-school children, adding that the union’s endorsement reflected the teaching community’s confidence in his administration.

Earlier, Executive Chairman of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Grace Adagba, who chaired the occasion, commended the governor’s policies on school funding and teachers’ welfare.

She said the school grant scheme and implementation of the harmonised retirement age had helped restore teachers’ dignity, job security and professional standing.

Adagba described teachers as critical partners in building the state’s future, noting that they had remained resilient and committed to their work despite the challenges confronting the profession.

The event brought together teachers, education stakeholders and government officials from across the state.