According to data obtained from the Universal Basic Education, there are only 915,913 teachers available to support approximately 31,771,916 learners in public and private primary schools nationwide. This is particularly true for teachers in states and the Federal Capital Territory, who battle with non-payment of the minimum wage, poor working conditions, and other issues.
Recently, teachers in the Federal Capital Territory embarked on strike, following the failure of the area councils to implement the minimum wage approved by President Bola Tinubu last year. In 2024, The PUNCH reported that 18 states of the federation failed to recruit teachers between 2019 and 2024, a span of five years.
Similarly, the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria raised concerns over what it described as the shortage of qualified teachers in the country. It stated that the shortage was more pronounced in rural areas, thereby exacerbating educational inequality.
