Alausa: FG’ll work with states, labour and partners to strengthen teacher development
By Uji A Iliyasu, Abuja
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has called for sustained respect, investment and partnership for Nigerian teachers, saying appreciation must translate into lasting support.
Dr Alausa spoke at the 2026 World Teachers’ Day commemoration and the President’s Teachers’ and Schools’ Excellence Awards (PTSEA) ceremony held at Eagles Square on Monday.
The theme was “Protecting and Advancing the Status of the Teaching Profession in a Rapidly Changing World.”
Alausa said teachers deserve professional respect, career-long development opportunities, appropriate resources, fair recognition and good working conditions.
“Every doctor, engineer, scientist, entrepreneur and public servant was once taught by someone,” he said. “When we honour teachers, we honour the people who make every other profession possible.
The minister said technology and Artificial Intelligence are changing how knowledge is accessed, and can help teachers reach learners and tailor instruction. However, he stressed that the judgement, encouragement and human connection of a skilled teacher remain indispensable. Teachers must be equipped to use new tools responsibly and confidently while the standards and values of the profession are safeguarded, he added.
Dr Alausa thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his commitment to education under the Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the progress being made was possible because the President chose to invest in the Nigerian child.
He said the Federal Government’s renewal efforts focus on better learning environments, stronger institutions, skills for a changing economy, reliable data for decision-making, and improved teacher welfare and professional development.
“No child’s opportunities should be limited by geography, family income or circumstance,” he said, adding that teachers in both urban and remote schools should have the tools and backing to help every learner progress.
The minister said the PTSEA recognises outstanding teachers, school administrators and schools for professionalism, innovation and leadership. He said the President’s association with the awards shows that teaching excellence deserves the highest national regard.
He congratulated the awardees and urged them to keep upholding integrity, innovation and commitment, and to inspire others. He also assured teachers who did not receive awards that their work is seen and valued.
Dr Alausa said the Federal Government would continue to provide leadership and resources but cannot do the work alone. He pledged to work with State Governments, school leaders, professional bodies, organised labour, development partners, communities and parents to strengthen teacher preparation, development and recognition.
“Your service deserves more than thanks on one day each year,” he told the teachers. “It calls for sustained respect, investment and partnership every day of the year.”
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), however, lamented the delay in implementing the special salary structure for teachers in the country.
The salary scale was approved by former President Muhammadu Buhari on World Teachers’ Day, on 5 October 2020. It covers teachers in basic and secondary schools and includes rural posting, science teacher and other peculiar allowances.
Buhari also raised teachers’ years of service from 35 to 40 and their retirement age from 60 to 65.
NUT National President, Comrade Audu Amba, has said the professional salary structure ought to have been implemented since 2023, and regretted that the approvals remain unimplemented.
He urged both federal and state governments to implement the enhanced salary structure and welfare packages, citing a shortage of over 194,000 teachers in public primary and secondary schools.
The delay has persisted for years. The special salary structure was expected to lift teachers’ minimum pay to between N150,000 and N300,000 monthly, against about N49,000 at the time.
The NUT said a federal implementation committee last met in 2021.
The minister also congratulated winners of the President’s Teachers’ and Schools’ Excellence Awards and assured teachers who did not receive awards that their work is seen and valued.