The National Union of Teachers has renewed its demand for the implementation of the special salary structure approved for teachers in basic and secondary schools under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The union’s National Deputy President, Kizito Kalu, made the demand on Monday in Abuja while delivering the NUT’s address to mark the 2026 World Teachers Day at Eagle Square.
Kalu expressed concern that the salary structure, which was approved alongside other welfare packages in 2022, had yet to be implemented four years after the Federal Government gave its approval.
He said, “Teachers must receive remuneration that reflects the importance of their responsibilities and the prevailing economic realities in the country. We wish to recall that the Federal Government, under former President Muhammadu Buhari, gave approval for the implementation of a special salary scale for teachers in basic and secondary schools in the year 2022 alongside other welfare packages.
Unfortunately, four years after the approvals, implementation has not commenced.
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We, therefore, renew our call on the government to set machinery in motion for actualisation of the new salary regime for teachers in order to boost their morale and enhance their dignity.”
The union also appealed to the government to improve the conditions under which teachers operate, stressing that better working environments were necessary for effective teaching.
Kalu identified overcrowded classrooms, inadequate furniture and shortages of instructional materials among the challenges affecting teachers’ ability to perform optimally.
He called for urgent measures to address the deficiencies and improve the welfare and working conditions of teachers across the country.
The theme of the 2026 World Teachers Day celebration is, “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing the status and shaping our futures.”
World Teachers Day was inaugurated on October 5, 1994, during the 44th session of the International Conference on Education held in Geneva.