President Muhammadu Buhari, at the 2022 commemoration of the World Teachers Day, reaffirmed commitment to enhancing the fortunes of Nigerian teachers. No society could grow beyond its educational attainment, he said, noting that: “One of the major differences between healthy, well-functioning and prosperous societies and poorer societies is education. We owe so much of our well-being as a nation to our educators at every level.” ‘Couldn’t be better stated.

The World Teachers Day is marked every October 5 to celebrate teachers and draw attention to their welfare and concerns. Speaking at this year’s event with the theme: “The Transformation of Education Begins with Teachers,” the President stressed the centrality of teachers to Nigeria’s educational transformation. Represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, he said the present administration was determined to return teachers and the teaching profession to their rightful places by fully implementing professional teaching and teacher qualification framework standards that would invariably impact on education outcomes and teachers’ performances at pre-school, basic, secondary and tertiary levels.

At the 2020 edition of the World Teachers Day, President Buhari had announced new incentives for teachers which include a bumper and specialised salary structure, upward review of their retirement age from 60 to 65, and years of service from 35 to 40, payment of the fees of teachers’ children and provision of low-cost houses for them. Other incentives promised include: increase in rural posting allowance for teachers, science teachers’ allowance, peculiar allowance, automatic employment of Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) and Bachelor of Education (B. Ed.) students upon graduation, prompt payment of teachers’ salaries and timely promotion to eliminate stagnation, as well as sponsorship of teachers on skills enhancement trainings. These packages were unfolded after more than two decades of struggle and agitations for improved welfare by teachers.

However, two years since the presidential package was unveiled, teachers across the country are yet to enjoy the promised bounties. Vice President Osinbajo said the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission had completed work on the reviewed remuneration package for teachers in basic and secondary school. “Implementation is awaiting conclusion of consultations with state governments and the National Assembly,” he added. In his own address at the 2022 commemoration, Minister of Education Adamu Adamu acknowledged that teachers, especially at the basic and secondary levels, had been at the receiving end of “some of the most unfavourable and sometimes intolerable policies, practices and experiences.” According to him, the Federal Government has implemented the retirement age of teachers at 65 years, with corresponding elongation of service years to 40. Teachers, however, say government has only enacted the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022, but has yet to gazette it; hence, it is not being implemented yet and teachers still get retired at age of 60 or after 35 years of service.

Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) National President, Audu Titus Amba, argued at the 2022 commemoration that the Nigerian education system is in crisis. He noted that students of tertiary public institutions were out of school for more than seven months due to a protracted industrial dispute, while the basic and secondary education sub-sectors were faced with challenges that include “non-implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage for teachers in some states, shortage of teachers, poor infrastructure, lack of instructional materials, insecurity in schools, inadequate funding and poor conditions of service in general.” Amba lamented that the deplorable state of education and poor working conditions of teachers adversely affect education service delivery, especially in the public sector. He, however, praised President Buhari for the harmonisation of retirement age of teachers and called on government at both national and sub-national levels to place high premium on education and accord teachers pride of place in society.

With the Buhari presidency having barely seven months left of its tenure, there are fears teachers could be forced back to the starting blocks of agitation if the promised package does not get implemented before it leaves office. In other words, the package could expire with this administration, especially in view of lack of continuity that typifies governance policies in this country. That is even to talk about the federal level, and not to mention the historic struggle it will inevitably take to get the package through with state governments. And it is one reason the Buhari administration must be earnest with implementing the package of benefits by perfecting enabling laws as may be required. As for getting resources to fund the package, this is contingent to a great extent on the administration being able to plug leakages of corruption that constitute huge drainpipes on the economy.