By Dr. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu (Ada Owere)
Today, October 5, 2026, as the world marks World Teachers’ Day, I salute the men and women who stand every day at the frontline of nation-building—the teachers.
The theme of this year’s celebration, “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures,” is particularly significant. Sixty years after the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, we must ask ourselves a fundamental question: Are we truly standing with our teachers in Nigeria?
The honest answer is that we have not done enough.
As the daughter of a headmaster, I grew up with a firsthand understanding of the invaluable role teachers play in shaping young minds and building responsible, productive citizens. That role cannot be overemphasised. Teachers do far more than teach reading, writing, mathematics or science. They mould character, identify potential, nurture discipline, inspire ambition and provide the intellectual foundation upon which every profession and institution rests.
The doctor, engineer, scientist, lawyer, entrepreneur, farmer, politician and even the teacher himself or herself all passed through the hands of teachers.
Teachers are nation-builders.
Yet, in Nigeria, the teaching profession has suffered decades of neglect. Many teachers work under difficult conditions, with inadequate facilities, overcrowded classrooms, insufficient teaching materials and workloads that are often unreasonable. Their remuneration and welfare have frequently failed to reflect the enormous responsibility placed on their shoulders.
We should not be surprised when young people increasingly lose interest in entering the teaching profession. When a society does not accord teachers the respect, professional development, remuneration and working environment they deserve, it sends a dangerous message to the next generation: that educating the nation is not valued.
That is unacceptable.
The crisis goes beyond teachers.
Nigeria continues to grapple with millions of children who are out of school, while millions of young Nigerians who have obtained university and other tertiary qualifications struggle to find meaningful employment. We are simultaneously dealing with an education system that is failing to prepare many young people adequately for the economy of today and tomorrow.
This is not merely an education-sector problem. It is a national development emergency.
Every child out of school represents lost human potential. Every poorly trained child represents a future challenge. Every frustrated graduate without an opportunity to deploy his or her skills represents another waste of human capital.
Nigeria cannot continue to consume its future this way.
What must we do?
We need nothing less than a national rescue of education.
First, we must restore the dignity of the teaching profession. Teachers must be adequately remunerated, paid promptly and provided with decent working conditions. Professional development must become continuous, meaningful and accessible.
Second, we must invest massively in public education infrastructure—classrooms, laboratories, libraries, digital resources, water, sanitation, electricity and safe learning environments. No child should be expected to learn effectively in an environment that denies basic dignity.
Third, we must confront the out-of-school children crisis with the urgency it deserves. Every child belongs in school. We need targeted interventions that address poverty, insecurity, displacement, disability, gender barriers and other factors that keep children away from classrooms.
Fourth, our education system must be relevant to the world of work. We must strengthen technical and vocational education, entrepreneurship, digital skills, STEM and other pathways that enable young people to become not merely job seekers but creators of value and employment.
Fifth, government, industry and educational institutions must work together to address the graduate unemployment crisis. A university certificate should not become a certificate of frustration. We need stronger links between education, skills development, research, industry and the labour market.
And finally, education must receive the political priority and sustained funding that it deserves. Education should not be treated as an expenditure to be managed downwards; it is an investment in Nigeria’s most valuable resource—its people.
As we celebrate teachers today, let us go beyond flowers, speeches and social-media tributes.
Stand with teachers. Pay them fairly. Train them continuously. Equip them properly. Protect their dignity. Give them the tools to teach.
And, most importantly, give every Nigerian child the opportunity to learn.
The Nigeria we desire cannot be built on an educational system that is collapsing under the weight of neglect.
If we rescue education, we rescue our children.
If we empower teachers, we empower the nation.
If we invest in human capital, we invest in Nigeria’s future.
On this World Teachers’ Day, I salute every Nigerian teacher who continues to show up, despite the challenges.
You are shaping our future. Nigeria must now stand with you.
Happy World Teachers’ Day 2026.
Dr. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu (Ada Owere), Labour Party Candidate for House of Representatives, Owerri Federal Constituency
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