The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) recently marked World Teachers’ Day by calling on the Federal and State Governments to prioritize teachers’ welfare. The NLC is pushing for a living wage for teachers, citing the need for fair compensation that reflects the current economic realities. This demand is part of a broader request for improved welfare packages for educators.
“In Nigeria, we have perfected the art of praising teachers to high heavens while starving them on earth. We extol the nobility of the teaching profession yet reward that nobility with indignity, dishonor, and scorn. We acknowledge that teachers hold the key to our nation’s future, yet we confine them to a present filled with struggle, neglect, and near-starvation, A teacher burdened by hunger, rent, and transport worries cannot be a fountain of creativity and inspiration. You cannot give what you do not have. The rewards of teaching must not be postponed to heaven—they must be delivered here on earth,”
NLC President Joe Ajaero lamented during the teachers day celebration in Abuja.
The NLC also demands that private school teachers be granted their constitutional right to unionize. Many private school owners deny their employees this right, along with other benefits like health insurance, pensions, and severance pay.
The NLC is urging governments at all levels to increase funding for education, meeting UNESCO’s benchmark of allocating at least 6% of GDP and 20% of total public expenditure to education.
The NLC emphasizes the need for better working conditions, including training and certifying unqualified personnel to improve learning outcomes and developing an effective national framework for teaching professionals.
The NLC calls for the recognition of teaching as the “queen of all professions,” highlighting the crucial role teachers play in shaping the nation’s future.
NLC President Joe Ajaero emphasized that a well-remunerated and motivated teaching workforce is essential for sustainable development. He lamented the current state of teachers’ welfare, saying, “In Nigeria, we have perfected the art of praising teachers to high heavens while starving them on earth”.
