The Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, has warned that the country’s education system is in serious trouble because of a growing shortage of qualified teachers and broken promises from the government.
Speaking at the celebration held on Sunday at Eagle Square, Abuja, the NUT National President, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, said new data from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) shows that Nigeria needs 194,876 more teachers in public primary schools.
He said the situation in secondary schools is also very bad and that the lack of teachers is affecting the quality of education children receive.
“This shortage of teachers makes it hard for Nigeria to achieve its goal of giving every child quality education,” Amba said.
Amba also complained that many promises made by the government since 2020 to improve teachers’ welfare have not been fulfilled. He added that although a new minimum wage was approved in 2024, ten states have not fully implemented it for teachers, and four states have not implemented it at all.
He called on all levels of government to urgently employ more teachers and improve the working conditions of those already in service, saying teachers are key to building a better nation.
This year’s celebration, with the theme “Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession,” included awards for outstanding teachers and governors, March Past competitions, and the President’s Teachers and School Excellence Awards.
Amba ended his speech by urging the government to stop making empty promises and take real action to support teachers and fix Nigeria’s education system.