By Mariam Abeeb
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called on the Federal Government to urgently improve teachers’ welfare, working conditions and professional development, while demanding the reversal of the concession of King’s College, Lagos, to a private association.
The National President of the NUT, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, made the demands in his address at the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration held at Eagle Square, Abuja, on Monday.
Amba said the government must urgently implement the new salary regime and other welfare packages approved for teachers, noting that four years after their approval, implementation had yet to commence.
He called on the government to set machinery in motion for the actualisation of the new salary structure, stressing that improved remuneration would boost teachers’ morale and enhance their dignity.
The NUT President also demanded improved working conditions for teachers, citing overcrowded classrooms, inadequate furniture, poor infrastructure and insufficient instructional materials as major challenges affecting effective teaching and learning.
He urged the government to sustain investment in school infrastructure and provide safe, healthy and conducive environments for teachers and learners.
On teacher shortages, Amba called for the urgent recruitment of sufficient numbers of professionally qualified teachers, particularly for rural, underserved and hard-to-reach communities. He also advocated incentives to encourage qualified teachers to remain in the profession.
The union further demanded regular training and retraining of teachers, describing continuous professional development as essential to enable educators adapt to changing school content, technology and societal expectations.
On digital technology and artificial intelligence, the NUT supported the integration of technology and AI into teaching and learning but said teachers must be empowered rather than displaced by emerging technologies.
It called on the government to provide teachers with appropriate devices, reliable internet connectivity, electricity, digital resources and technical support, alongside comprehensive training in digital pedagogy and the ethical use of AI.
The union also demanded greater participation of teachers in education policymaking, arguing that teachers’ expertise and experience should be recognised in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of national education policies.
On security, the NUT urged governments at all levels to strengthen the protection of schools, teachers and learners, warning that growing security challenges in some parts of the country posed a serious threat to education.
The union also raised concerns over the conditions of teachers in Unity and Command Schools, citing alleged restrictions on teachers joining the union of their choice, stagnation of education officers for between 13 and 15 years, non-payment of arrears, promotion benefits and duty tour allowances, as well as denial of teachers’ right to unionise in some security institutions.
A major demand of the union was the reversal of the Federal Government’s decision, through the Federal Ministry of Education, to concession King’s College, Lagos, to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA) under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.
The NUT described the concession as a dangerous departure from the principle of public education and a threat to teachers’ employment security, professional autonomy and workplace rights.
The union called for meaningful consultation with critical stakeholders, including teachers and parents, and urged the Federal Ministry of Education to resolve the issue and other outstanding matters affecting industrial peace and quality education.
Amba said education remained a fundamental human right and a core responsibility of government, stressing that Nigeria could only build better schools and an innovative and digitally transformed society by investing sustainably in teachers and the education system.
He said the 2026 World Teachers’ Day, marking 60 years of the ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, should move beyond celebration to concrete action and sustained investment in the teaching profession.
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