Teachers demand better welfare as FG, govs pledge support

Nigerian teachers, on Monday, demanded improved welfare, better working conditions, career progression, employment opportunities, safer schools and increased investment in teaching and learning as the Federal Government and state governors pledged continued support for the profession.

The demands were made as Nigeria joined the rest of the world to commemorate the 2026 World Teachers’ Day, with teachers’ unions in several states using the occasion to draw attention to challenges affecting educators and the education system.

However, the Federal Government pledged to strengthen the teaching profession through professional development, improved working conditions, appropriate resources, fair recognition and stronger institutional support.

This is just as governors across the states highlighted measures ranging from teacher recruitment and salary improvements to employment, training, infrastructure and welfare packages.

Speaking on Monday, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, pledged continued government support for teachers and urged them to embrace emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, while preserving professional standards and the human connection central to effective teaching.

Alausa spoke at the 2026 World Teachers’ Day commemoration and President’s Teachers’ and Schools’ Excellence Awards ceremony in Abuja, held under the theme, “Protecting and Advancing the Status of the Teaching Profession in a Rapidly Changing World.”

Speaking, Alausa said the Federal Government was committed to improving the teaching profession through professional development, better working conditions, appropriate resources, fair recognition and stronger institutional support.

“Teachers deserve professional respect, opportunities to develop throughout their careers, appropriate resources, fair recognition and good working conditions that enable them to teach well.”

Alausa said the Federal Government would continue to collaborate with state governments, school leaders, professional bodies, organised labour, development partners, communities and parents to strengthen teacher preparation, professional development and recognition.

The minister urged stakeholders to renew their commitment to protecting the dignity of teaching, advancing its professional standing and equipping teachers to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

The minister said the government’s education reforms were being implemented with teachers and learners at the centre, with efforts focused on improving learning environments, strengthening institutions, developing skills for a changing economy and generating reliable data for decision-making.

However, in Oyo State, the Nigeria Union of Teachers demanded the full implementation of the Safe School Programme, integration of 135 teachers into the Teaching Service Commission employment structure, approval of inter-local government transfers for some teachers and greater administrative flexibility on conversion and career progression.

The union also called for the prompt release of grants to school heads and payment of outstanding 2025 leave allowances.

The Oyo NUT Chairman, Hassan Fatai, made the demands at the state’s World Teachers’ Day celebration held at the Islamic High School Multipurpose Hall, Orita Basorun, Ibadan North Local Government Area.

The union dedicated the celebration to schoolchildren and teachers abducted during a coordinated attack on schools in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026.

But the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Nureni Adeniran, said education could not be transformed without teachers, stressing that their status, competence and welfare remained central to the future of the sector.

Adeniran said standing with teachers should go beyond ceremonial appreciation to include professional development, decent working conditions, teaching and learning resources, career progression, mentoring and continuous capacity building.

In Delta State, the NUT also demanded action on teacher shortages, insecurity, inadequate teaching materials and other conditions affecting educators.

The NUT State Chairman, Dickson Poubeni, said improved salaries and career progression would have greater impact if government also addressed the conditions under which teachers worked.

“We are grateful that the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has addressed this long-standing issue,” he said, referring to the approval of Grade Level 17 career progression for eligible university graduate teachers in public primary schools.

Poubeni said the approval had ended the long-standing stagnation of graduate primary school teachers at Grade Level 14.

He, however, listed seven areas requiring urgent attention, including the shortage of teachers in primary and secondary schools, inadequate security in schools and a shortage of instructional materials.

The union also called for the inclusion of the NUT in governing councils of state-owned educational institutions.

Poubeni urged the government to address the non-replacement of retired secondary school principals who had been appointed as permanent secretaries, as well as concerns surrounding the ongoing screening of teachers.

He also raised concerns over inadequate subvention for school heads, saying the situation affected the quality of teaching and learning.

The NUT chairman called for improved security through adequate perimeter fencing and deployment of security personnel to schools.

Responding to the demands, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by the Commissioner for Technical Education, Smart Ufoh, said his administration was working to improve teachers’ welfare, training and working conditions.

Oborevwori said the government had approved Grade Level 17 career progression for qualified graduate teachers in public primary schools.

He also said the state had approved a 13th-month salary for public servants, including teachers, while legislation was being pursued to make the payment a statutory entitlement.

“But supporting teachers is not only about salaries. It is also about training, better working conditions and providing them with the tools they need to teach effectively,” the governor said.

He added that the state was recruiting more teachers, particularly in science subjects, while also investing in continuous professional training.

The governor said the state was working with the Universal Basic Education Commission and the State Universal Basic Education Board to improve school facilities and learning environments.

“Our commitment is simple: better support for our teachers and better learning opportunities for our children,” he said.

In Abia State, the NUT’s demands led to a series of directives by Governor Alex Otti on outstanding welfare, employment and career progression issues.

Otti ordered the re-engagement of teachers who had been disengaged or retired on account of attaining 60 years but were below 65 years of age, following the extension of the retirement age for teachers to 65.

The governor announced while responding to demands presented by the State NUT Chairman, Madu ChukwuJekwu, during the World Teachers’ Day celebration in Umuahia.

“I am surprised that that matter is still outstanding. I want to instruct, from this year, the Honourable Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education that anybody who is less than 65 years of age, if they have been disengaged, you must return them,” Otti said.

He added, “I have approved it here. Please bring all of them back. Even if it is six months before retirement, bring them back.”

The governor also directed that all outstanding check-off dues owed to teachers be settled within seven days.

“If check-off dues have not been paid, maybe you have not provided the account because the money is sitting there,” he said.

Otti further directed that teachers whose salaries had been delayed because of verification issues should be paid by the end of October.

He ordered that salaries owed to the 4,075 newly recruited teachers should also be paid before the end of the month.

On outstanding promotions for 2021 and 2022, the governor directed the Abia State Universal Basic Education Board to harmonise the process with the State Head of Service and submit it for approval, insisting that the exercise must be completed by the end of October.

Otti said his administration was also introducing modern approaches to education through the development of smart schools.

“The whole idea is not to supplant traditional education, but to make the future of education available to our children. They can always have a choice,” he said.

Earlier, the NUT chairman commended the governor for recruiting more than 9,000 teachers, paying salary arrears inherited from previous administrations and regularly paying salaries.

He also commended the government for committing 20 per cent of the annual budget to education.

In Ekiti State, Governor Biodun Oyebanji announced N70.5m in cash rewards for outstanding teachers across the 16 local government areas, while assuring educators of continued attention to their welfare.

The state government had declared Monday work-free for teachers to enable them to participate in activities marking the celebration.

Oyebanji said his administration had invested significantly in education and assured teachers that outstanding emoluments, particularly leave bonuses, would soon be paid.

Responding to a request by the teachers, he announced plans to construct a befitting state library in 2027.

“I have listened to the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers. Let me disclose that we will be constructing a befitting state library next year. It has been captured in the 2027 budget,” the governor said.

He also cited the recruitment of 5,530 teachers over four years as part of efforts to address personnel shortages in public schools.

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“We are committed to regular payment of salaries, disbursement of revolving car and housing loans for eligible secondary school teachers, and I assure you that we will continue to prioritise the welfare packages for all our teachers in the state public schools,” Oyebanji said.

He said the government had recruited 430 teachers through the Teaching Service Commission in 2022, 500 in 2023/2024 and 1,600 in 2025/2026, while the State Universal Basic Education Board recruited 1,500 teachers in 2022/2023 and another 1,500 in 2026.

Oyebanji also appealed to teachers to support and vote for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 general election, saying his return was crucial to the continuity of the administration’s Shared Prosperity Agenda in Ekiti State.

In Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun announced the absorption of more than 1,500 OgunTEACh interns into the mainstream civil service and distributed more than N51m in rewards to outstanding teachers, administrators and schools.

The governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, said his administration had employed more than 7,000 teachers since its inception.

The government also said it had earmarked N24bn through the State Universal Basic Education Board for the provision and rehabilitation of critical education infrastructure.

Abiodun described teachers as “the foundation upon which every other profession and society was built.”

“Before a doctor learns to treat patients or an engineer designs a bridge, a teacher has awakened their minds and laid the foundation they are building upon,” he said.

The governor said the Ogun State Education Revitalisation Agenda would continue to drive improvements in curriculum delivery, school management, technology, infrastructure, funding and the welfare of teachers and learners.

The Ogun NUT Chairman, Sewakanu Oladipupo, commended the government for recruiting more than 6,000 teachers through the OgunTEACh platform.

He also commended the approval and implementation of teachers’ promotions from 2016 to 2024, noting that approval had been granted for the implementation of promotions for 2025 and 2026.

The NUT chairman particularly acknowledged the removal of the longstanding ceiling that prevented primary school teachers from progressing beyond Grade Level 16.

He said the development had restored parity, hope and dignity to the primary school sector.

In Ondo State, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa called for greater investment in teachers, saying educators must be provided with the tools, dignity and working environment required to perform effectively.

Aiyedatiwa, who said he had previously worked as a teacher, said he returned to the classroom in March 2025 and described the experience as important to his understanding of the challenges confronting educators.

“Having been a teacher before, I know the classroom. I know the responsibility it entails: standing before young minds and trying to make knowledge meaningful to them. That experience has remained an important part of my understanding of governance,” he said.

He said education was a major component of his administration’s seven-pillar development agenda, with emphasis on teacher recruitment, professional development, infrastructure and access.

The governor said more than 2,100 teachers were recruited into public primary and secondary schools in 2025, while the government continued to provide digital, pedagogical and other professional training.

He said the state constructed 43 new classroom blocks in 2025 at a cost of about N3.1bn and completely renovated 75 schools.

The government also procured 8,500 learners’ furniture and 1,200 teachers’ furniture, while learning resources worth more than N150m were distributed across the three senatorial districts.

Aiyedatiwa said the government had continued to prioritise teachers’ welfare through regular payment of salaries and allowances, as well as the settlement of inherited gratuity arrears owed to retired public servants, including teachers.

“This is not merely a fulfilment of an obligation; it is a message to those still in service that government remembers their sacrifice and that their future is secure,” he said.

On the changing demands of education, the governor said governments could not prepare students for the future using only traditional learning tools.

“The classroom of tomorrow cannot be built entirely with the tools of yesterday. That is why we are deliberately embracing digital education,” he said.

He said the state had introduced AI-powered learning tools, smartphones and literacy programmes through partnerships, while thousands of tablets had been deployed in public schools.

He added that laptops were being provided to digitally trained teachers as part of preparations for robotics, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

Aiyedatiwa said improving education required attention to the conditions under which teachers worked.

“If we truly desire a knowledge-driven society, we must give teachers the tools to teach, the environment to work, the dignity they deserve and the opportunity to continually renew their knowledge,” he said.

In Edo State, Governor Monday Okpebholo assured teachers that his administration would continue to prioritise their welfare and improve the education sector.

The governor said teachers held the key to the development of every society, adding that meaningful progress depended on investment in those responsible for preparing children and young people for the future.

“First, I commend Edo teachers for their dedication, sacrifice and commitment to educating the next generation, and I assure them that this administration will continue to prioritise their welfare and improve the education sector,” Okpebholo said.

He said his administration had absorbed 5,000 contract teachers into the state civil service, providing them with greater job security, while 6,000 teachers had been recruited to address staffing shortages in public schools.

“We cannot build schools and leave them without teachers. Our priority is to ensure that our children have access to qualified teachers, whether they are in Benin City or in our rural communities,” he said.

In Sokoto State, the African Democratic Congress governorship candidate, Manir Dan’iya, called for urgent action on teachers’ salaries, employment security and welfare.

Dan’iya raised concerns over reports of delays in the payment of September 2026 salaries of primary school teachers and reports that about 4,000 teachers had been deleted from the state payroll after the current administration assumed office.

He urged the government to provide clarity on the status of affected workers.

“You cannot build a strong education system while the people entrusted with educating our children are worried about whether their salaries will be paid, whether their appointments will stand, or whether they will receive the training and professional support required to do their jobs effectively,” Dan’iya said.

He also called for regular training and professional development, adequate teaching materials, improved working environments and clear career progression for teachers.

Meanwhile, the Kebbi State NUT defended the state government against allegations of poor funding and inadequate remuneration for teachers contained in a video circulating on social media.

The state NUT Chairman, Zaki Sarki SK, described the video as old, edited and doctored, saying it was intended to create a false impression about the government’s performance in education.

He said the union supported Governor Nasir Idris and cited the review of teachers’ salaries to N75,000, construction of mega schools, more than 2,500 classrooms, recruitment of over 2,000 teachers and provision of furniture and learning materials as evidence of government intervention.

“We at Kebbi NUT are solidly behind Governor Idris, and we will continue to support him in providing dividends of democracy to the people of Kebbi State,” Zaki said.

“We therefore condemn and reject the doctored video and its entire contents. Those behind it should verify their facts before making fallacious claims against the government,” he added.

On his part, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar used the occasion to criticise the Federal Government over what he described as worsening economic hardship confronting teachers.

In a Teachers’ Day message issued by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said teachers deserved more than annual tributes and should be supported with policies that enable them to live and work with dignity.

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress said his own experience had made him appreciate the role of teachers in shaping his life, recalling teachers from his early years in Jada who recognised his potential when he was a young orphan.

“I still remember the names and faces of my early teachers in Jada, who saw potential in a young orphan. They taught me arithmetic and grammar, but they also gave me a future,” Atiku said.

He criticised governments that celebrate teachers on October 5 but fail to provide the conditions necessary for them to live and work with dignity.

“Government cannot praise teachers on this day and leave them to face hardship for the rest of the year. A commemorative message cannot pay a teacher’s bills,” he said.

Atiku promised that, if elected, his administration would prioritise policies aimed at reducing the cost of living, supporting decent employment and improving the welfare of teachers and other working Nigerians.

“My promise is clear: I will work to make life affordable again. Teachers and families should not have to watch their incomes disappear on food, transport, rent and electricity,” he said.

He also apologised to Nigerian teachers and citizens on behalf of what he described as a leadership that had failed to make their welfare a priority.

“I apologise to Nigeria’s teachers and to all Nigerians on behalf of a leadership that has failed to make their welfare a priority. Teachers deserve more than praise, and Nigerians deserve a government that puts their lives and livelihoods first,” he said.