Dr. Aminu Ladan, Director-General, National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), says that Nigerian teachers are de-motivated in Nigeria because their remuneration is abysmally low.

Ladan made this known Friday at a symposium organised by Federal Ministry of Education to mark the World Teachers Day in Abuja.

He said the welfare of teachers in Nigeria, especially when compared to other professionals like nurses, doctors and lawyers, was discouraging.

Ladan, who was represented by Dr. Hafsat Kontagora, Director Academic, NTI, said in the past teachers were motivated and had no option than to perform.

According to him, teachers’ pay was so low that most of them could barely put food on their tables by the time they settled their children school fees, utility and medical bills.

“Yet they are expected to perform magic; it is quite absurd that under this unpalatable conditions they are expected to produce those that will grow up to become leaders of tomorrow.

“They are expected to perform wonders in bare classrooms as they are derogatorily compared with teachers in other countries or teachers of the past.

“Was this the situation of Nigerian teachers in the past? Let me take you down memory lane, we all remember how teachers were revered, in villages teachers are next to the village heads or chiefs.

“In short, in Nigeria today teachers are de-motivated and so I say `to whom less is given, less should be expected.”

Ladan called on the employers of teachers to consider increasing salary and other remunerations for teachers to put them at par with their counterparts in other sectors.

He said for this to be, there had to be fringe benefits like allowances, retraining and regular capacity building, payment of arrears, bonus, good working environment and general welfare of teachers.

“Once these are in place most teachers have no option but to be motivated because work is a natural phenomenon and once the condition is favourable people will not only accept responsibility, they will seek it.”

He encouraged teachers to struggle to upgrade themselves with or without government support, but most importantly, there was need to fight for the support of government.

He said that government needed the political will to accord the Nigerian teacher of today the place they deserve.

He added that teachers need regular training and re-training, better working environment, better remuneration and clear opportunity and support to progress in the teaching career to highest ladder.

The Acting Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs. Hindatu Abdullahi, said the topic for the symposium ‘Motivated Teachers; Key to Sustainable Nigerian Society,’ was carefully chosen to highlight teachers empowerment issue.

Represented by Mr. Olu Lipede, Director Press of the Ministry, Abdullahi said the issue of empowerment of teachers could not be disassociated from the motivation of teachers.

She urged all the stakeholders to contribute their quota to enhance teachers’ standard and welfare so that they could keep abreast with global best practice. (NAN)

•Photo shows NTI DG, Aminu Ladan.