• As ADC salutes teachers, condemns APC’s neglect
• UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF call for stronger support

The National Union of Teachers has decried the failure of the Federal Government to implement the special salary scale for teachers in basic and secondary schools approved under the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

The NUT National Deputy President, Kizito Kalu, spoke in Abuja yesterday while delivering the 2026 World Teachers Day address at Eagle Square.

The NUT’s theme for the 2026 WTD is “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing the status and shaping our futures.”

Kalu said: “Teachers must receive remuneration that reflects the importance of their responsibilities and the prevailing economic realities in the country. We wish to recall that the Federal Government, under former President Muhammadu Buhari, approved the implementation of a special salary scale for teachers in basic and secondary schools in the year 2022 alongside other welfare packages.”

Kalu also called for improved working conditions, noting that teachers could not be expected to perform optimally in environments characterised by “overcrowded classrooms, inadequate furniture, insufficient instructional materials.”

World Teachers Day was inaugurated on October 5, 1994, at the 44th session of the International Conference on Education in Geneva.

MEANWHILE, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Education International have called for stronger professional support, better working conditions and enhanced status for educators.

In a joint message to commemorate the event, the four organisations called on governments and partners to stand with teachers by advancing the status of the teaching profession and empowering every tutor to contribute to more inclusive, peaceful and sustainable societies.

According to the organisations, every learner deserves a teacher who is well prepared, well supported and empowered to thrive in the profession, stressing that the way societies value teachers reflects the value they place on future generations.

The organisations identified quality initial teacher education, continuous professional learning and safe and supportive working environments among the conditions required for teachers to perform effectively.

They also called for greater trust in teachers’ professional judgement, and meaningful participation of their experience in shaping education policy through social dialogue.

The urgency of strengthening the profession is underscored by the projected global teacher shortage.
IN another development, the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) saluted Nigerian teachers for their invaluable service to the nation and humanity, describing them as the backbone of national development and the custodians of the country’s future.

In a goodwill message to mark the 2026 World Teachers’ Day, the Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Kola Ologbondiyan, said teachers had continued to mould lives, build character and sustain Nigeria’s education system despite years of neglect, hardship and deteriorating working conditions.

Ologbondiyan described Nigerian teachers as “true heroes,” commending their sacrifice, dedication, resilience and patriotic commitment to the nation.

He, however, condemned what he described as the worsening hardship confronting teachers under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration, arguing that government policies had made it increasingly difficult for teachers to discharge their responsibilities effectively.

According to him, the removal of petroleum subsidy without adequate cushioning measures, poor and irregular salaries, inadequate welfare packages, insufficient training and retraining, dilapidated school infrastructure and the rising cost of living have combined to make life increasingly unbearable for teachers across the country.