Dr. Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education
The Federal Government has started paying three years of salary arrears to over 1,700 teachers and education officers in Federal Unity Colleges. The affected staff, who were recruited between 2019 and 2021, had been awaiting the backlogged payments for six years.
Payment commenced on Tuesday in batches, with some teachers already receiving alerts. Bobby Mark Winful, speaking on behalf of the Coordination Team for Salary Arrears Officers (2018–2020 sets), praised the government and relevant ministries for resolving the long-standing issue, which had caused significant hardship.
Winful described the development as “financial relief and a testimony of collective perseverance, unity, and faith.” He acknowledged the efforts of task force members, school representatives, and coordinating teams who facilitated communication and cooperation throughout the process.
The commencement of payments follows years of advocacy, protests and engagement by affected teachers. Winful urged members to maintain the spirit of unity, emphasising that the achievement demonstrates the power of collective effort and could inspire further progress in the education sector.
