By Atoyebi Nike
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Cross River State has called on the state government to raise education funding from 15% to 26% of the annual budget to enhance productivity in the sector.
Speaking at the 2025 World Teachers’ Day celebration in Calabar, NUT Chairman, Comrade Gregory Olayi, urged the government to promote teachers to Grade Level 17 and appoint them as permanent secretaries, as done in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Rivers states.
He also demanded timely release of the education budget, recruitment of more teachers, and prompt payment of primary school teachers’ salaries. Olayi lamented the current shortage of teachers following the movement of over 300 staff from schools to the mainstream civil service.
In response, Governor Bassey Otu, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Stephen Odey, assured teachers of government’s commitment to improving their welfare. He announced plans to establish an education trust fund and reforms in the Secondary Education Board to make the profession more attractive.
