Nigeria joined the rest of the world yesterday to mark the 2026 ‘World Teachers’ Day’, with political leaders, labour groups and education stakeholders paying tributes to the country’s professionals in the teaching field and hailing them for their contribution to national development.

However, opposition figures criticised the rising cost of living and the deteriorating welfare of educators across the country, stressing that these have negatively impacted Nigeria’s teachers.

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, said teachers were being forced to perform their critical duties under increasingly difficult economic conditions, arguing that government could not continue to celebrate educators while leaving them to struggle with the cost of food, transportation, rent and electricity.

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), meanwhile, lamented that a special salary structure approved for teachers four years ago by the federal government had yet to be implemented, while the Labour Party called for a national state of emergency in the teaching sector.

In contrast, governments in states including Ogun and Ekiti highlighted investments in teacher recruitment, infrastructure, technology and welfare, with Ogun state disclosing that more than 7,000 teachers had been employed since the inception of the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun and that N24 billion had been committed to education infrastructure.

The 2026 celebration was held under the theme: “Standing with Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing Its Status and Shaping Our Futures.”

Atiku: Teachers Cannot Survive on Praise

Atiku, in a statement issued by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, said his appreciation of teachers was rooted in personal experience, recalling the role they played in his early education.

The former vice president said the economic hardship confronting teachers was particularly distressing because of the responsibilities placed on them to educate and shape the next generation.

“When I hear of a teacher forced to walk miles because transport fares consume so much of their salary, or borrowing food on credit to feed their family before going to teach our children, my heart breaks,” Atiku said.

“No nation can rise above the level of its teachers. I will honour them not only with words, but with policies that improve their welfare and make life more affordable,” he added.

Atiku, who is also the founder of the American University of Nigeria, said teachers should not be expected to continue giving their best when their earnings were being eroded by the rising cost of living.

“The 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. Respect must be reflected in fair conditions, reliable support and policies that make life affordable,” he said.

He also criticised President Bola Tinubu over what he described as the administration’s failure to adequately appreciate the role of teachers.

“It is both revealing and deeply embarrassing that Bola Tinubu cannot name a single teacher who stood before him or a classmate who sat beside him. Teachers are the architects of every nation’s future,” Atiku said.

“A leader who cannot remember those who laid the foundation of his own education has shown just how far removed he is from the classroom and from the daily struggles of those who keep it alive,” he argued.

Atiku said the hardship facing teachers reflected a broader cost-of-living crisis affecting Nigerian families.

“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. We will pursue policies that bring down the cost of living, support decent jobs and ensure that hard work can provide a dignified life,” he said.

First Lady: Teachers Shape Minds, Nurture Dreams

For her part, First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, also paid tribute to teachers, describing them as central to the development of future generations.

In a message issued to mark the day, she said teachers remained important contributors to national development and deserved greater protection and recognition.

“On this World Teachers’ Day 2026, commemorated under the theme, ‘Standing with Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing Its Status and Shaping Our Futures,’ we celebrate the contributions of teachers to national development,” she said.

“Our teachers shape minds, nurture dreams and prepare future generations to build a better world,” she emphasised.

The First Lady urged policymakers and society to protect the teaching profession and improve the welfare and status of teachers. “I encourage policymakers and society at large to continue to protect the teaching profession, improve teachers’ welfare, and elevate their status,” she said.

NUT Decries Non-implementation of Special Salary

For the NUT, however, the celebrations provided an opportunity to renew its demand for the implementation of a special salary structure approved for teachers four years ago.

The union’s National Deputy President, Kizito Kalu, said the special salary scale for teachers in basic and secondary schools was approved in 2022 by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari alongside other welfare packages.

Speaking at the national World Teachers’ Day celebration at Eagle Square, Abuja, Kalu said the delay had affected morale in the profession.

“Unfortunately, four years after the approvals, implementation has not commenced. We wish to recall that the federal government, under former President Muhammadu Buhari, gave approval for the implementation of a special salary scale for teachers in basic and secondary schools in the year 2022 alongside other welfare packages,” Kali stated.

The NUT urged the federal government to begin implementation of the salary regime, arguing that better remuneration was necessary to restore dignity and morale to the profession.

“We, therefore, renew our call on the 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,” Kalu said.

The union also raised concerns over overcrowded classrooms, inadequate furniture and instructional materials, as well as a shortage of teachers, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach communities.

It called for aggressive recruitment of qualified teachers and incentives to attract and retain educators in underserved areas.

ADC: Teachers Are True Heroes

The ADC Presidential Campaign Council also described Nigerian teachers as the backbone of national development and custodians of the country’s future.

In a goodwill message issued by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the council said teachers had continued to mould lives and build character despite years of neglect, hardship and deteriorating working conditions.

Ologbondiyan described teachers as “true heroes”, praising their sacrifice, resilience and commitment to the country.

Labour Party Demands Emergency Action

For its part, the Labour Party (LP) called for a national state of emergency in the teaching sector, citing poor welfare, inadequate working conditions and insufficient professional development.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, described Nigerian teachers as the “bastion of the nation’s knowledge and learning”. He said educators continued to demand better learning environments for their pupils while also struggling with inadequate conditions of service.

“Given our shared history through the Labour Movement to the birth of the Labour Party, the Party enjoins Nigerian teachers not to waver in their faith in the Labour Party as the pathway to improved welfare and better conditions of service for Nigerian teachers,” Asogwa said.

The party called for increased investment in training and retraining, improved learning environments, better remuneration and stronger working conditions.

“No nation can genuinely grow where those entrusted with moulding the future generations of its citizens are themselves ill-equipped, poorly motivated and inadequately rewarded to perform their duties,” the LP stated.

The party also rejected the traditional notion that teachers should accept material hardship because “a teacher’s reward is in heaven”. “Teachers should not be starved to death,” it said.

Gombe Gov: Transform Teaching with Technology, AI

Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, commended teachers for their contribution to education and national development, saying the profession must be transformed to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.

In a message issued by his Director General, Press Affairs, Ismaila Uba Misilli, the governor said the theme of the celebration highlighted the need to modernise teaching through innovation, digital technology, artificial intelligence, professional development and inclusive learning.

“Transforming education requires more than infrastructure and policy declarations. It demands well-trained, motivated and adequately supported teachers, whose knowledge, experience and commitment are essential to preparing our children for the challenges and opportunities of the future,” he said.

Yahaya pledged continued investment in teacher recruitment, capacity building, school infrastructure and teaching materials.

“The classroom is where the future of our state begins. When teachers are empowered with the right skills, resources and motivation, learners perform better, communities prosper and society advances,” he said.

Oyebanji Pledges Library, Clears Welfare Arrears

In Ekiti State, Governor Biodun Oyebanji announced plans to construct a new state library and assured teachers that outstanding welfare benefits, particularly leave bonuses, would be paid.

Speaking at the state’s World Teachers’ Day celebration in Ado-Ekiti, Oyebanji said the proposed library had already been captured in the 2027 budget following a request by the NUT.

“I have listened to the leadership of NUT and let me disclose that we will be constructing a befitting state library next year. It has been captured in the 2027 budget,” he said.

The governor also rewarded outstanding teachers across the state’s 16 local government areas with N70.5 million.

He said his administration had recruited 5,530 teachers in four years to address personnel shortages in public primary and secondary schools.

According to him, 430 teachers were recruited by 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 each in the 2022/2023 and 2026 exercises.

Oyebanji said all 203 public secondary schools in the state had been equipped with ICT laboratories, interactive boards and 5KVA inverters, while 125 had internet facilities.

He added that 54 schools had been provided with perimeter fencing and CCTV cameras installed in 48 schools, with another 85 schools scheduled to receive the facilities.

“As of today, all 203 public secondary schools have ICT laboratories, interactive boards, 5KVA inverters and internet facilities in 125 of them. We will continue to prioritise teachers’ welfare because they remain central to our vision for a better Ekiti,” he said.

Ogun Employs over 7,000 Teachers

In Ogun State, the government said it had employed more than 7,000 teachers since the beginning of Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration, while committing N24 billion through the State Universal Basic Education Board to education infrastructure.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, Abiodun said teachers remained the foundation upon which every 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 (OGSERA) would continue to drive improvements in curriculum delivery, school management, technology, infrastructure, funding and the welfare of teachers and learners.

He disclosed that more than 1,500 OgunTEACh interns had been absorbed into the mainstream civil service, receiving their appointment letters at the World Teachers’ Day ceremony.

Abiodun also said his administration had presented more than N51 million in cash prizes to outstanding teachers, schools and administrators.

The first-prize winners in the Best Teacher categories received N2.5 million each, while second and third-place winners received N1.5 million and N1 million respectively.

The governor said the OgunTEACh programme had become a model beyond the state, while commending teachers and education administrators who had received national and international recognition.

The Ogun State NUT chairman, Sewakanu Noah Oladipupo, commended the administration for recruiting more than 6,000 teachers through OgunTEACh, noting that the state had recorded no teacher recruitment for eight years before the present administration.

He also praised the government for implementing teachers’ promotions from 2016 to 2024 and approving the implementation of promotions for 2025 and 2026.

He particularly welcomed the removal of the ceiling that had prevented primary school teachers from progressing beyond Grade Level 16, saying it had restored “parity, hope and dignity” to the primary school sector.

NHRC Seeks Sustained Investment

For its part, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also called for increased and sustained investment in teachers and school infrastructure, warning that Nigeria could not guarantee quality education without strengthening the people and institutions responsible for delivering it.

In a message issued by its Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, the commission said access to education must extend beyond getting children into classrooms.

It said the quality of teaching, availability of learning facilities and conditions under which pupils and students were taught were critical to meaningful educational outcomes.

The NHRC called for greater investment in teacher training, professional development and improved working conditions, while urging governments to provide functional classrooms, learning materials, water and sanitation facilities, electricity and safe learning environments.

It also stressed the need to pay particular attention to vulnerable children who face difficulties accessing quality education.

Bauchi Lawmaker Hails Teaching Profession

Meanwhile, the senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, Shehu Umar Buba, described teaching as a noble profession that cuts across every other profession and should be held in high esteem.

Buba, who is the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) 2027 governorship candidate in Bauchi State, said teachers deserved recognition for their contribution to society.

“As a trained teacher, I join millions of Nigerians, particularly the good people of Bauchi State, in extending my heartfelt felicitations to teachers across the country as we commemorate World Teachers’ Day 2026,” he said.

World Teachers’ Day is marked annually on October 5 to recognise the contribution of teachers to education and society, while drawing attention to the conditions under which they work. (This Day)

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