Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has clarified why local governments in the state have not yet implemented the N90,000 minimum wage for teachers under the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

Speaking at the flag-off of the distribution of instructional materials to public schools at the Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board (EBUBEB) headquarters along the Enugu–Abakaliki Expressway, the governor attributed the delay to the ongoing payment of gratuities to retired local government workers across the state.

The Nigerian Union of Teachers had previously threatened industrial action over the issue, but the governor appealed for patience and successfully prevailed upon the union to shelve the planned strike.

Governor Nwifuru explained that the 13 local government councils are prioritising the settlement of gratuity arrears, which have significantly limited their financial capacity to immediately implement the new wage structure for junior and primary school teachers.

“There has been this issue of non-payment of the N90,000 minimum wage to our newly recruited and posted teachers,” he said. “From available records, no local government goes home with more than N150 million after paying gratuities. If we further deplete that amount, it means we won’t have effective administration at the local government level.”

He appealed to SUBEB teachers to remain calm, assuring them that payment of the new minimum wage would commence once the gratuity obligations are fully cleared.

“We want a situation where retirees can process and access their gratuities within one month. We are making this sacrifice to clear the backlog, and I am confident that within two months we will complete it and begin payment of the N90,000 minimum wage to SUBEB teachers,” he assured.

He stressed that the affected teachers would fully benefit from the new wage, which other categories of workers in the state already enjoy.

Beyond the wage issue, the governor advocated integrating vocational and skills-based education into Nigeria’s basic education curriculum to tackle youth unemployment.

He called for a structural overhaul beginning from the upper basic level, particularly from Year Seven, to embed technical skills, innovation, and competence-driven learning into the system.

“The current model disproportionately emphasises theoretical knowledge at the expense of practical competencies, leaving many graduates ill-equipped for labour market realities,” Nwifuru said.

“The fault is not with the graduates. They studied what was offered to them. The challenge lies in the structure of the system,” he added, stressing the need to reposition education towards productivity and self-reliance.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to revitalising public schools, noting that regulatory actions had been taken against substandard private institutions to safeguard standards.

“In our manifesto, we pledged to make the worst public school better than the best private school. That commitment remains unwavering,” the governor said.

Speaking at the event, a representative of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Mr. Isaac Ochinwo, described the intervention as part of the commission’s mandate to enhance access to quality basic education and strengthen monitoring mechanisms.

He disclosed that the consignment, valued at about N15 million, includes core textbooks for nursery and primary schools, desktop computers, writing materials, classroom furniture, and sporting equipment.

The Chairman of the Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board (EBUBEB), Mrs. Patience Ogodo, said 240 schools across the three senatorial zones were captured in the first phase of distribution.

According to her, items distributed include 1,410 seats; 46,545 English textbooks; 38,817 Mathematics textbooks; 3,675 exercise books; 3,675 school bags; 3,675 sandals; 3,675 pencils; 1,500 plastic chairs; 492 rubber mats; and 2,499 computers.

She urged school administrators and teachers to safeguard the materials and ensure proper utilisation.

The exercise was coordinated by UBEC in collaboration with EBUBEB as part of efforts to strengthen foundational literacy, promote digital inclusion, and improve access to quality education in the state. (The Nation)

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