Nigeria Faces 194,000 Teacher Shortage – Union

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has raised the alarm implicit an acute shortage of qualified teachers successful Nigeria’s nationalist schools, describing the concern arsenic a nationalist situation threatening the country’s acquisition system.

Speaking astatine the expansive finale of the 2025 World Teachers’ Day solemnisation held yesterday astatine Eagle Square, Abuja, the National President of the NUT, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, said the shortage of teachers had reached a captious point.

He said, “It is alarming that Nigeria has a shortage of 194,876 teachers successful nationalist superior schools nationwide. The concern successful our secondary schools is not encouraging either. This manpower situation has sedate implications for our schools’ prime of acquisition and learning outcomes.

Amba cited statistic from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), informing that the widening shortage undermines Nigeria’s committedness to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), which is to guarantee prime acquisition for all.

“We adhd our dependable to the planetary telephone to marque teaching much charismatic to younger generations. Government indispensable employment the close fig and prime of teachers to prolong effectual acquisition transportation successful our schoolhouse system,” helium said.

Amba besides lamented that, contempt promises made since 2020 to amended teachers’ welfare, galore of the incentives approved by the Federal Government stay unfulfilled.

“It is worrisome that isolated from the caller status property of 65 years, which 22 states and the FCT person implemented, astir of the approved incentives person not been fulfilled. We telephone connected some Federal and State Governments to afloat instrumentality these payment packages to reconstruct dignity and pridefulness to the teaching profession,” helium said.

He further decried the hold successful implementing the 2024 National Minimum Wage, revealing that 10 states person not afloat implemented the caller minimum wage for teachers, portion 4 person not.

The national person besides called connected the Federal Government to revisit its determination to delist the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) from nationalist funding, stressing that the assembly is important to maintaining nonrecreational standards successful education.

“Teachers are the instauration of immoderate acquisition system. The TRCN indispensable beryllium decently funded to guarantee lone trained and qualified teachers are engaged successful our classrooms,” Amba stated.

He condemned the increasing privatisation of nationalist schools, peculiarly the handover of nationalist schools to missions oregon backstage agencies, describing it arsenic a worrisome argumentation displacement threatening entree to escaped and inclusive education.

“Education is simply a cardinal quality close guaranteed by our Constitution. Policies that beforehand privatisation make societal inequalities and deprive susceptible children, particularly the girl-child and those successful agrarian areas, of entree to education.”

Amba besides drew attraction to the plight of teachers successful national unity schools, calling for the promotion of those who person passed their examinations, outgo of wage arrears owed since 2018, and regularisation of verified PTA teachers.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government reaffirmed its committedness to empowering teachers done reforms and policies that amended nonrecreational development, collaboration, and welfare.

Speaking astatine the event, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Olatunji Alausa, said the authorities remained dedicated to promoting teachers’ maturation and ensuring prime acquisition transportation nationwide.

“It is singular that the planetary assemblage acknowledges the selfless dedication of teachers who stay the instauration of improvement successful each climes. Rewarding teachers is an concern successful prime education, pupil achievement, and nationalist progress,” helium said.

Dr Alausa noted that teacher collaboration leads to amended learning outcomes and greater nonrecreational fulfilment. “When teachers are supported to enactment unneurotic done adjacent mentoring, associated acquisition planning, co-teaching, and integer platforms, learning outcomes improve, and teachers acquisition nonrecreational growth,” helium stated.

He besides said the ministry had rolled retired respective initiatives to revitalise the profession, including the National Teacher Policy, which empowers and motivates teachers done continuous grooming and vocation support.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Said, emphasised the request to physique spot and shared work among educators to flooded absorption to collaboration.

She said recognising outstanding educators would animate excellence and pull caller endowment to the teaching profession.

“Celebrating teachers’ contributions not lone honours their efforts but besides encourages others to aspire towards excellence,” she said.

The lawsuit besides featured the President’s Teachers and Schools Excel...