By Atoyebi Nike
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to increase education spending and improve teacher welfare, warning that continued neglect of the profession poses a threat to the country’s future.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made the call during the 2025 World Teachers’ Day celebrations in Abuja. Describing teaching as “the queen of all professions,” he said teachers remain underpaid, undervalued, and poorly treated despite their critical role in nation building.
“The paradox is stark: while society heaps praises on teachers, they remain the most neglected and starved profession. Teachers are praised to heaven but starved on earth,” Ajaero said.
He urged the government to meet the UNESCO recommendation of allocating at least 6% of GDP and 20% of public expenditure to education, noting that Nigeria falls far below this benchmark. He also condemned the exploitation of private school teachers and demanded their right to unionise under ILO conventions.
Ajaero warned that without urgent action, poor teacher welfare could worsen brain drain in the education sector and undermine the country’s development.
World Teachers’ Day 2025 was marked under the theme “The Teachers We Need for the Education We Want: The Global Imperative to Reverse Teacher Shortages,” which he said reflects Nigeria’s worsening teacher shortages and overcrowded classrooms.
