Abuja — The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has asked Federal and State Governments to prioritise teachers’ welfare by implementing a living wage, boosting public education funding, and enforcing private‑school teachers’ right to unionise, as Nigeria marked World Teachers’ Day 2025 themed “Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession.”
NLC President Joe Ajaero said Nigeria faces a “foundational crisis” in education—citing a shortage of qualified teachers, brain drain, and professional isolation—and warned that overcrowded classrooms, with many teachers handling up to 50 learners, undermine learning. He called for a national framework to train and certify unqualified personnel, noting: “While many people can teach something, not everyone is a teacher.”
Ajaero criticised the gap between public praise and material neglect of teachers, questioning rising school fees while teacher salaries stagnate. He urged sustained investment, referencing countries that advanced after prioritising education, and demanded Nigeria meet UNESCO’s benchmarks—around 6% of GDP and 20% of public expenditure for education.
He also spotlighted private‑school teachers, who he said are often underpaid and denied benefits like the minimum wage, health insurance, pensions, and severance. He pressed the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to collaborate with unions in the private sector, and called on the Ministers of Labour and Education to enforce ILO Conventions 87 and 98 on freedom of association and collective bargaining.
“A well‑remunerated and motivated teaching workforce is the non‑negotiable foundation upon which sustainable societies are built,” Ajaero said, adding that “the rewards of teaching must be delivered here on earth.”
