Neglecting Teachers Endangers Nigeria’s Future, NLC Warns as Ajaero Urges Higher Education Funding

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to increase education funding and improve teachers’ welfare, warning that continued neglect of the teaching profession poses a grave threat to the nation’s future.

Speaking in Abuja during the World Teachers’ Day 2025 celebration, NLC President Joe Ajaero lamented that teachers remain “underpaid, undervalued, and underappreciated” despite their pivotal role in shaping national development.

Describing teaching as “the queen of all professions,” Ajaero criticised the poor remuneration, inadequate working conditions, and lack of respect teachers face.

> “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,” he said.



Ajaero urged the government to meet the UNESCO benchmark, which recommends allocating at least 6% of a country’s GDP and 20% of public expenditure to education. Nigeria’s current investment, he noted, falls far below this standard, leading to teacher shortages and worsening student–teacher ratios.

The labour leader also condemned the exploitation of teachers in private schools, many of whom, he said, are denied fair wages, social protection, and the right to unionise. He called on the Ministers of Labour and Education to enforce teachers’ rights in accordance with the Nigerian Constitution and International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions 87 and 98, which protect freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Ajaero warned that unless urgent measures are taken to address teachers’ welfare, Nigeria risks an escalating brain drain in the education sector, as many educators continue to migrate for better opportunities abroad or in other industries.

> “Teachers who are not properly trained, motivated, or supported cannot deliver quality education. If we continue down this path, we endanger not just the future of our children, but that of the entire country,” he cautioned.



He further called for a national framework to retrain unqualified teachers, promote continuous professional development, and reduce the high pupil-to-teacher ratio, which he said remains far above international standards in many Nigerian schools.

This year’s World Teachers’ Day was marked under the global theme “The Teachers We Need for the Education We Want: The Global Imperative to Reverse Teacher Shortages.” Ajaero noted that the message is especially relevant to Nigeria, where teacher shortages have reached “alarming levels.”

He concluded by urging all tiers of government to show genuine political will by making teachers’ welfare a top priority, describing it as a “critical first step toward rebuilding and transforming the nation’s education system.”