The Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal College of Education, Ofeme-Ohuhu, Umuahia, Abia State, Hajjia Rabia Adamu, has stated that Nigeria requires at least 1.2 million teachers to address the crisis in the education sector.
Speaking at the institution’s maiden matriculation ceremony on Friday, Adamu said the country’s teacher-to-pupil ratio is far below the standard of one teacher to 25 pupils. “There are schools in this country where you have one teacher to 300, one teacher to 400, one teacher to 500,” she said.
She urged the 160 new students to see their admission as an opportunity to contribute to solving the shortage. According to her, many of the matriculants showed interest in business education, political science and social studies, while fewer opted for core teaching-related subjects.
Adamu warned that the trend highlights the danger of neglecting teacher training, which could worsen the crisis in classrooms.
She expressed hope that the federal government’s implementation of the National Teacher Education Policy would help reposition the profession and attract more candidates to the field.
The Federal College of Education, Ofeme-Ohuhu, was recently established to boost teacher training and address manpower gaps in Nigeria’s education system.
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