Teachers lament plight!

•Six-year-old new salary structure still in limbo

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

Six years ago during the World Teachers’ Day, some mouth-watering incentives were announced for teachers to improve their working conditions and welfare. The gesture was to appreciated the role of teachers in human and society development.

The  then Minister for Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said the package was to attract and retain the best brains into the teaching profession and encourage best graduates to take up careers in the teaching profession.

Special salary scale for teachers in basic and secondary schools, including special provisions for rural posting allowance, science teachers allowance and peculiar allowance was approved. Also approved was special pension scheme that would, predictably, enable the teaching profession retain its experienced talents, and extended teachers’ retirement age to 65 years and teaching service years to 40.

Federal Government also ordered the reintroduction of bursary award to education students in universities and colleges of education with assurance of automatic employment upon graduation, and also directed that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to make financial provisions for teaching practice in universities and colleges of education. It announced payment of stipends to Bachelor of Education students as well as granting them automatic employment after graduation is now a government policy.

It also approved the building of low cost housing for teachers in rural areas, as well as expansion of annual Presidential Teachers and Schools Excellence Award to cover more categories.

Outstanding winners of the teachers awards were to be considered for National Awards and National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) awards. Adamu quoted Buhari: “I have also ordered that there should be free tuition and automatic admission for biological children of teachers in their respective schools to encourage and retain them in the system.

“I have directed the Minister for Education(former), Mallam Adamu Adamu, to ensure accelerated implementation of these policies and measures in collaboration with states and local governments, Office of Head of Service of the Federation, National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, and other relevant agencies.”

Six years after

Six years after the approvals, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) said the promised improvement in remuneration was yet to reach teachers, thus renewing pressure on government to implement the package.

    At the this year’s World Teachers’ Day in Abuja, NUT President, Titus Amba, represented by his deputy, Kizito Kalu, disclosed that most of the promises made to the teachers were yet to be fulfilled: “Specifically, the special salary scale for teachers in basic and secondary schools was approved in 2022 alongside other welfare packages, but four years after the approval, implementation has not commenced.

    “We therefore renew our call on government to set machinery in motion for actualisation of the new salary regime for teachers in order to boost their morale and enhance their dignity. A motivated teacher is an asset to national development.  The status accorded teachers will ultimately determine the quality of education and the country’s development prospects.”

The demand came as speakers at the event, including Minister for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa; the UNESCO representative; and Plan International Nigeria’s Director of Philanthropy and Business Development, Shito Oje stressed the need for stronger support, professional development and better working conditions for teachers.

Alausa insisted teachers must be supported: “The theme of this year’s celebration, ‘Protecting and Advancing the Status of the Teaching Profession in a Rapidly Changing World,’ should compel stakeholders to move beyond appreciation of teachers to sustained support for the profession.”

He said teachers deserved professional respect, opportunities for career development, appropriate resources, fair recognition and good working conditions: “When we honour teachers, we honour the people who make every other profession possible.”

The minister said technology and artificial intelligence were changing how knowledge was accessed and used, but the human judgement, encouragement and connection provided by teachers remained indispensable: “We must equip teachers to use new tools responsibly and confidently while safeguarding the standards and values of their profession.”

Alausa said the Federal Government’s efforts were focused on providing better learning environments, strengthening institutions, equipping young Nigerians with skills for a changing economy, generating reliable data for decision-making and improving teacher welfare and continuous professional development: “Government would continue to work with state governments and other stakeholders to improve the conditions in which teachers operate.”

    Alausa also stressed that a child’s opportunity should not be determined by geography, family income or circumstance: “Whether a teacher serves in a busy urban school or a remote community, that teacher should have the tools and backing to help every learner progress.” He told teachers that the significance of their work went beyond the annual celebration: “Their service required sustained respect, investment and partnership throughout the year.”

UNESCO: World needs 63m more teachers

The UNESCO representative, delivering a joint message from the Director-General of UNESCO, the Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Executive Director of UNICEF and the General Secretary of Education International, said the global teaching profession faced an urgent shortage.

Dr. Isaías Barreto da Rosa, Head, UNESCO Office, Abuja, delivered a message on behalf of UNESCO Director-General, ILO Director-General and UNICEF Executive Director. He said the world was projected to require 63 million additional teachers by 2030, including 44 million teachers needed to achieve universal primary and secondary education and six million for pre-primary education:

“Every learner deserves a teacher who is well prepared, well supported and empowered to thrive in the profession. The 60th anniversary of the UNESCO-ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers provides an opportunity to renew global commitment to improving the profession. The recommendation, adopted 60 years ago, establishes a shared vision of teaching as a profession deserving public recognition and the support required to fulfil its responsibilities.

“Strengthening teaching requires high-quality initial teacher education, continuous professional learning, safe and supportive working environments and meaningful participation of teachers in education policy through social dialogue.” He called for greater opportunities for female teachers to assume leadership positions, noting that advancing gender equality in and through education remained essential to tackling persistent gender barriers and inequalities.

The representative said governments had a central responsibility to protect and promote the status of teachers while working with employers, teacher organisations, teacher education institutions, communities and international partners. The challenges confronting teachers, he noted, had also become more complex because of artificial intelligence, climate change, conflict, displacement, persistent inequalities and increasingly diverse learning environments:

“Teachers are now expected not only to impart knowledge and skills but also to promote critical thinking, inclusion, resilience, lifelong learning and responsible citizenship. Teachers should be empowered not merely to adapt to changes but to help shape the future of education.”

da Rosa also stressed the importance of preserving the teacher-student relationship: “Socialisation and human interaction are essential foundations of education.”

Plan International: Invest in teachers

For Plan International Nigeria, the growing expectations placed on teachers must be matched by greater investment in their professional development and welfare.

Representing the organisation’s Country Director, Dr Charles Lusier, Its Director of Philanthropy and Business Development, Shito Oje, said she was speaking not only as a development worker but also as “a daughter of a teacher. Teachers are among the most important people in the village required to raise a child. Their influences often extend beyond the classroom.”

    She said teachers could be the first people to recognise a child’s potential, notice when something was wrong, encourage a girl to believe in her dreams or help a child living with disability understand that he or she belonged: “For children affected by conflict or displacement, teachers could also provide a sense of stability and normalcy.” But she asked whether society was doing enough to support teachers entrusted with such responsibilities.

    She said Plan International had supported teacher development, inclusive education, formal and non-formal learning, alternative learning pathways, school rehabilitation, water and sanitation, menstrual health and hygiene, child protection and community engagement across Nigeria.

    The organisation, she said, had also supported more than 350 teachers in Borno State to complete professional certification and licensing in collaboration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria: “For us, this is not simply about certification. It’s about strengthening the professional standing of our teachers and ensuring that they are better equipped to support the children that they serve”

    Oje said investment in teachers ultimately benefited children, families, communities and the country. She called for continuous professional development, quality teaching and learning resources, digital and AI training, supportive leadership and working environments that protect teachers’ dignity and wellbeing.

She said access to school without quality education was insufficient, while quality without inclusion was incomplete.

Awards amid welfare concerns

The celebration also featured the 2026 President’s Teachers’ and Schools’ Excellence Awards, with outstanding teachers, administrators and schools recognised for professionalism, innovation and leadership.

Gloria Nkolika Odionu of Awada Primary School IV, Obosi, emerged Overall Best Administrator, while Mary Oluwaseun Adebayo of Nawair-Ud-Deen Grammar School Senior, Obantoko, Abeokuta, Ogun State, was named Overall Best Teacher.

Federal Government College, Otobi, emerged Overall Best School.

Other winners included Divine Rays British Secondary School, Obosi, Best Private Junior Secondary School; Austica Memorial College, Nanka, Best Private Senior Secondary School; Handmaids Infant Jesus Nursery and Basic School, Awka, Best Private Primary School; and Community Primary School, Mile 2, Abeokuta, Best Public Primary School.

While commending the award recipients, the NUT maintained that recognition should be accompanied by concrete improvements in teachers’ conditions of service.

The union also raised concerns over shortages of teachers, overcrowded classrooms, inadequate furniture and instructional materials, poor infrastructure and insecurity affecting teachers and pupils in some parts of the country.

   It further highlighted unresolved issues involving teachers in Federal Unity and Command Schools, including alleged stagnation of Education Officers at the directorate cadre for between 13 and 15 years and non-payment of some arrears and promotion-related entitlements.

    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, expressing concern over its possible implications for teachers’ employment security and professional rights.

    From celebration to action

    For the NUT, therefore, the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration was not only about celebrating excellence but also about reminding government that teachers needed practical support.

    Amba urged stakeholders to move “from celebration to action, from promises to implementation and from recognition to sustained investment.”

    The union’s salary demand gave particular weight to the call for action, coming four years after the special salary structure was approved.

    The development also highlighted the gap that can exist between policy announcements and implementation, especially in a profession responsible for educating millions of Nigerian children.

    While government officials and development partners at the event spoke extensively about the need to improve the teaching profession, the NUT maintained that improved remuneration remained central to restoring teachers’ morale and dignity.

    The union wants teachers’ welfare to be treated as an essential component of education reform rather than as an issue separate from improving learning outcomes.

    The speakers also converged on the need to prepare teachers for a rapidly changing education environment in which artificial intelligence and digital technologies are becoming increasingly important.

    But they differed in emphasis: while the NUT focused heavily on the long-awaited salary structure and broader welfare concerns, UNESCO stressed the global shortage of teachers and the need to strengthen professional standards, while Plan International highlighted inclusion, professional development and support for vulnerable learners.

    Together, the interventions underscored the growing expectations placed on teachers and the need for corresponding investment in the profession.

    As Nigeria celebrated teachers who had distinguished themselves through excellence, the NUT reminded government that recognition alone could not replace decent pay, career progression and conducive working conditions.

    For the union, the ultimate measure of commitment to teachers would be whether long-standing promises translate into practical improvements in the lives of those working in classrooms.

    Four years after the special salary structure was approved, teachers are still waiting.

    And as the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration ended with awards and commendations, the NUT’s demand remained firmly on the table: move from promises to implementation and give teachers the welfare and professional standing they have been promised.