- The Nigeria Union of Teachers warned that it may mobilise members if states fail to implement the new minimum wage
- The union’s National President, Titus Amba, disclosed that several states have yet to approve the agreed salary structure
- The union urged President Bola Tinubu to improve teachers’ welfare amid rising inflation
The Nigeria Union of Teachers has called on state governments to urgently implement the new minimum wage for teachers, warning that continued delays could trigger nationwide mobilisation.
Speaking on Monday, March 30, at the 8th Quadrennial 19th State Conference of Delegates in Ilorin, the union’s National President, Titus Amba, expressed concern over the slow pace of compliance across several states.
Represented by the union’s Social National Secretary, Titilope Adebanjo, Amba noted that despite prior agreements, some state governments have yet to approve and implement the revised wage structure.
“We still have some of our states that have yet to approve the recent minimum wage for our members. We will continue to appeal to them, but we will not just sit back. We will mobilise our members to ensure that governments do the needful,” he said.
The union also urged Bola Tinubu to take further steps to improve teachers’ economic conditions, stressing that rising inflation has significantly reduced the value of their earnings.
“The present government is trying for teachers, but we appeal for better economic conditions as the current situation is affecting our meagre salaries,” he added.
Amba, however, commended the Kwara State Government for initiatives aimed at improving teachers’ welfare, particularly the approval of a 27.5 per cent teachers’ peculiar allowance.
A major demand highlighted at the conference was the extension of teachers’ retirement age in Kwara State from 60 to 65 years, a move the union described as critical to retaining experienced educators.
“It is the only thing the Nigerian Union of Teachers is requesting from the Kwara State Government at the moment,” Amba stated.
Earlier, the state chairman of the union, Yusuf Agboola, reinforced the call, noting that extending the retirement age would strengthen the education sector.
“Extending the retirement age will enhance productivity and ensure that the wealth of experience within the system is not lost prematurely,” he said.
In his keynote address, the Vice-Chancellor of AbdulRasaq Abubakar Toyin University, Prof Abdulrauf Ambali, linked challenges in the education sector to broader national security concerns.
He emphasised the importance of tackling the rising number of out-of-school children, describing it as a key step toward addressing insecurity.
“The issue of insecurity is general, but we must also tackle the root causes. When we address out-of-school children, we will be closer to solving insecurity,” he said.
Ambali also expressed optimism about ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to improve safety in schools and communities.
The demand for better welfare for teachers remains a persistent issue in Nigeria’s education sector, with stakeholders continuing to advocate improved pay, working conditions, and policy reforms as essential to reversing declining educational outcomes.