President Bola Tinubu has said that his administration will leave no stone unturned in ensuring teachers’ welfare and quality education at all levels.
Tinubu gave the assurance at the occasion of the 2024 World Teachers’ Day Celebration in Abuja on Saturday.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, the president noted that teachers’ welfare and quality education was key to women’s empowerment, prevention of diseases and reduction of poverty among others.
“There is no gain in saying that the Federal Government of Nigeria presently emphasises the teaching profession as enshrined in the National Policy on Education.
“This policy states amongst the goals of teacher education, to produce highly motivated, conscientious and efficient classroom teachers at all levels of our educational system, provide teachers with the intellectual and professional background adequate for their assignment,” Tinubu stated.
According to him, government policies and legislations have ensured availability, accessibility, professional development, motivation, monitoring and evaluation systems, in practical terms.
“Painstakingly, teachers make efforts to develop themselves in the use of the emerging technologies for their teaching purposes,” the president noted.
The Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, while congratulating teachers on their tireless efforts, said the federal government was fully committed to ensuring that teachers were empowered and equipped for the task ahead.
“In spite of the challenges you face, your commitment remains unwavering, and for this, we are deeply grateful.
“You are the foundation upon which the success of our education system rests, and without you, the future we envision for Nigeria would not be possible.
“As we celebrate today, it is important that we also reflect on the significant role education plays in national development. Education is not just about imparting knowledge; it is about building a nation.
“We are working diligently to improve teacher training, professional development, and working conditions across the country,” Sununu said.
He also said that the Ministry was expanding access to new technologies and resources to ensure that Nigerian teachers could deliver world-class education, even in the most remote areas.
He stressed that this effort required the support of all stakeholders, hence the need for state governments, the private sector, civil societies, and international development partners to join hands with the federal government in the mission.
“Together, we can create an education system where teachers are not only appreciated but also fully empowered to contribute their expertise in shaping our policies and driving positive change,” Sununu added.
Earlier, the National President, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Audu Amba, expressed displeasure over the non-implementation of some welfare packages for teachers announced by former President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2020 WTD.
Amba called on the federal and state governments to ensure full implementation of the approved incentives in order to boost the morale of teachers in the discharge of their professional duties.
He listed some of the incentives to include, payment of a special salary scale for teachers in basic and secondary, reintroduction of bursary award to education students in universities and colleges of education.
Others he mentioned were the Special Teachers Pension Scheme to enable the teaching profession to retain its experienced talents as well as extend teachers’ retirement age among other incentives.
Amba, however, appreciated teachers for their courage and sacrifices in the face of daunting challenges and charged them to continue to uphold the ideals of the profession.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this year’s World Teachers Day theme is “Valuing Teacher Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education”.
Highlights of the celebration included cultural presentation, awards to six governors as well as the President’s Teachers and School Excellence Award.
The awards for best governors were given to the governors of Kebbi, Borno, Oyo, Benue, Enugu and Kano states.
