The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called on governments at all levels to take urgent action on teachers’ welfare, recruitment, working conditions, professional development and security, warning that Nigeria’s education system cannot deliver sustainable progress without motivated and adequately supported teachers.
The union made the call as Nigeria marked the 2026 World Teachers’ Day, which also commemorates the 60th anniversary of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.
The global theme for this year’s celebration is, “Standing with Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing its Status and Shaping our Future.”
Speaking at the national celebration at Eagle Square, Abuja, NUT National President, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, represented by his deputy, Elder Kalu Kizito, said teachers should be recognised as nation builders rather than merely implementers of government policies.
The union said teachers deserve improved remuneration, better working conditions, professional development opportunities and greater participation in education policymaking.
It also called for stronger security for teachers and pupils, particularly in communities affected by insecurity.
Teachers Demand Implementation of Special Salary Structure
A major issue raised by the NUT was the delay in implementing the special salary structure approved for teachers in 2022.
Amba said the policy had remained largely unimplemented four years after its approval and urged the Federal Government to establish a clear mechanism for its implementation.
“A motivated teacher is an asset to national development,” he said.
The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) similarly called for a special salary structure that recognises teaching as a distinct profession.
Its National President, Comrade Olusola Adigun, said the 27.5 per cent salary increment approved for teachers had not been implemented in some states.
He urged governments to make teaching attractive enough to draw talented and highly qualified graduates into the profession.
Teacher Shortage Worries NUT
The NUT also expressed concern over persistent teacher shortages, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
According to the union, inadequate recruitment in some states has left existing teachers overworked, while the retirement of experienced personnel continues to widen staffing gaps.
In Gombe State, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, represented by the Chairperson of the State Teachers’ Service Commission, Mrs Naomi Philip Maiguwa, said the state would recruit more teachers before the end of the year.
He said the administration had recruited more than 1,000 teachers since 2019.
However, Gombe NUT Chairman, Ali Baba Dalhatu, called for the payment of outstanding leave grants and full professional allowances for teachers.
He also demanded the extension of teachers’ service years from 35 to 40 years and retirement age from 60 to 65.
States Announce New Welfare Measures
In Akwa Ibom State, Governor Umo Eno approved the recruitment of an additional 2,000 teachers, following the recent employment of 1,000 teachers.
He also approved a N50,000 wardrobe allowance for each of the state’s 20,000 teachers.
The governor further approved N500,000 for each of 1,776 registered private schools to support their teachers.
Eno also declared a state of emergency in education and ordered a comprehensive review of the sector.
The governor said the state had released N15 billion as its SUBEB matching grant, intervened in more than 100 schools, continued to pay teachers’ gratuities and covered examination fees for 172,000 students.
In Ekiti State, Governor Biodun Oyebanji announced N70.5 million in rewards for outstanding teachers.
Oyebanji said the state had recruited 5,530 teachers in four years and equipped all 203 public secondary schools with ICT laboratories.
The NUT and ASUSS commended the initiatives but called for the payment of outstanding leave allowances and other entitlements.
Infrastructure Still a Major Challenge
Beyond salaries, stakeholders said poor infrastructure remains a major challenge confronting teachers and pupils.
In Calabar, Cross River State, teachers and Parent-Teacher Association officials raised concerns about inadequate facilities in some public schools.
At Government Technical Secondary School, Ikot Effanga, stakeholders complained about inadequate toilets and furniture.
At Government Secondary School, Unwanse, residents also raised concerns about dilapidated roofs, desks, doors and floors.
A teacher, Asuquo Edem, said the shortage of government-employed teachers had made it difficult to celebrate the progress recorded in the sector.
PTA Chairman, Clifford Akpan, said parents had resorted to employing teachers themselves, with each teacher reportedly receiving N20,000.
The state Commissioner for Education, Senator Steven Odey, acknowledged the infrastructure and staffing challenges, attributing them to years of underfunding and neglect.
He said the state accessed N17.01 billion in Universal Basic Education Commission intervention funds between 2023 and 2025.
Government Promises Better Working Conditions
The Federal Government has pledged to improve teachers’ welfare and working conditions.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said teachers deserved professional respect, opportunities for career development, appropriate teaching resources, fair recognition and working conditions that would enable them to perform effectively.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, also identified teacher welfare and retention as priorities.
She said the government was working towards a more coherent national system for teacher development and certification.
NUT Raises Concerns Over AI
The increasing use of artificial intelligence in education also featured prominently in the union’s demands.
The NUT president said teachers should not be expected to adopt digital technologies without adequate infrastructure and support.
He called for digital devices, reliable internet connectivity, electricity and training in digital pedagogy and the ethical use of artificial intelligence.
“Technology must empower the teacher, not diminish the teacher,” he said.
Minister Alausa agreed that technology and artificial intelligence could help teachers personalise instruction but stressed that technology could not replace the human role of educators.
According to him, the judgement, encouragement and human connection provided by skilled teachers remain indispensable to effective education.
Unionisation, Promotion Arrears Remain Concerns
The NUT also raised concerns over alleged restrictions on teachers seeking to join the union in some institutions.
Amba cited cases of Education Officers allegedly remaining at the directorate cadre for between 13 and 15 years without career progression.
He also raised concerns over unpaid arrears and promotion benefits and alleged restrictions on unionisation in some institutions under the Ministries of Defence and Police Affairs and the Department of State Services.
The union called on the Federal Ministry of Education to intervene.
It also opposed the reported concession of King’s College, Lagos, to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.
The NUT argued that management of the institution should not be transferred to a private association and called for wider consultation with relevant stakeholders.
More Demands From States
In Kano State, NUT Chairman, Baffa Ibrahim Garko, called on the state government to declare October 5 a public holiday in recognition of teachers.
He commended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for regular salary payments and infrastructure projects but demanded parity in pay and conditions between basic and post-primary teachers.
He also called for improved allowances, additional recruitment and payment of outstanding promotion benefits.
In the Federal Capital Territory, ASUSS Chairman, Julius Ogundiran, called for more recruitment as existing teachers retire.
He also demanded better housing arrangements, saying some teachers reportedly sleep in classrooms while others spend a significant portion of their salaries on transportation.
In Taraba State, NUT Chairman Nathan Solomon urged the government to consider experienced teachers for appointment as permanent secretaries.
Retirement Age Act Yet To Be Fully Implemented
Stakeholders also highlighted the uneven implementation of policies designed to improve teachers’ welfare.
The Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act increased the retirement age for teachers from 60 to 65 and their service years from 35 to 40.
The NUT says about 22 states have domesticated the legislation.
Kaduna State began implementing the policy in August 2025, while Niger State commenced implementation in January 2026.
However, more than a dozen states are reportedly yet to domesticate the provision.
The Teachers’ Special Salary Scale approved in 2022 has also remained largely unimplemented, particularly among state-employed teachers.
By late 2026, the NUT had issued ultimatums to 19 states over outstanding salary obligations, citing Kogi, Benue, Bayelsa and Ekiti among states with significant arrears or partial salary payments.
The union also said only some states had fully implemented the new minimum wage for teachers, while others had implemented it partially or not at all.
Stakeholders have further raised concerns over the absence of a uniform nationwide implementation of promised bursaries for students studying education.
As Nigeria celebrates teachers, the concerns raised by the NUT and other stakeholders underscore a broader challenge: translating government promises on teachers’ welfare into consistent implementation across federal, state and local institutions.
For education reforms to produce lasting results, stakeholders argue that improving infrastructure, recruiting sufficient teachers, ensuring competitive remuneration, protecting educators and investing in continuous professional development must remain central to education policy.
