By Mary Emeka
The 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration in Abuja witnessed a striking moment on Monday when teachers openly expressed their dissatisfaction with what they described as inadequate attention to their welfare and the teaching profession in Nigeria.
The moment occurred when the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmed, took to the podium to deliver her opening remarks at the event held at Eagle Square,
Abuja, on Monday.
In her opening remarks, the Minister sought to acknowledge the presence of Nigerian teachers and asked them if they were happy.
However, an overwhelming number of the teachers responded in the negative, signalling their dissatisfaction.
“Great Nigerian teachers!” the Minister called out.
“Great!” the teachers responded.
The Minister then asked: “Are you happy?”
“Noooo!” the teachers responded in unison.
When she repeated the question, the teachers responded even louder, reaffirming their dissatisfaction.
The spontaneous response appeared to highlight the concerns of teachers over their welfare and working conditions, as the country joined others around the world to commemorate the contribution of teachers to education and national development.
Later in his remarks, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT)
The current national president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Audu
Titus Amba, called on the Federal Government to prioritise teachers’ welfare, recruit more qualified teachers and improve working conditions to address the shortage of teachers across the country.
Comrade Amba, represented by Deputy president, Comrade Kizito Kalu, said the shortage of teachers remained a serious concern, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach communities, noting that years of inadequate recruitment by successive governments had worsened the situation.
“There is an acute shortage of teachers across the country, occasioned by non-recruitment of teachers by successive governments for many years,” the NUT president said.
The President urged the government to employ a sufficient number of professionally qualified teachers and provide incentives capable of encouraging them to remain in the teaching profession.
He also called for sustained efforts to improve teachers’ working environment, provide adequate teaching and learning resources and create opportunities for continuous professional development.
According to him, the teacher of today operates in a rapidly changing educational environment and therefore requires regular training and refresher programmes to remain effective.
“Continuous professional development is not negotiable for teachers for continued adaptation to the rapidly changing school context and to enhance their profession,” the president said.
Comrade Amba commended President Bola Tinubu for the Presidential Teachers and School Excellence Award, describing it as an important platform for recognising and rewarding outstanding teachers and non-teaching staff.
The award, the President said, celebrates teachers who have distinguished themselves through hard work, commitment, innovation, creativity and exceptional service to children, communities and the nation.
He further expressed appreciation to the government for its continued support for teachers and efforts to improve and modernise the award.
Comrade Amba maintained that investment in teachers remained essential to strengthening education and shaping the future of the country, urging government at all levels to translate policy commitments on teachers’ welfare into concrete action.
