•As FG reaffirms commitment to teachers welfare, recognition
By Emmanuel Ntekim
Ahead of the World Teachers Day celebration on October 5, 2025, the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT has appealed to Akwa Ibom State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, to take deliberate action to ensure that public primary and secondary schools across the state are funded to give them a facelift. .
The union, through its chairman, Comrade Edet Okon Abang Emenyi during interaction with our reporter stated these while unveiling the plans of the union for the days event. The union leader explained that the days event in the state will be marked to celebrate teachers as an address and goodwill messages will be presented as well as the teacher treated to sumptuous relaxation.
“We will acknowledge the hard work and contributions of teachers to the development of the society. In your paper, (WatchmanPost) preach to the government to fund public education so that the less privilege in the villages can also attend education, to meet up the development goal by 2030, he stressed.
Comrade Emenyi affirmed that the union will not be embarking on match pass, but will hold the event at the unions house in IBB way, Uyo. He urged all and sundry to always celebrate teachers, who have impacted teaching and experiences on them. That the day calls for remembrance and celebration of those teachers who impacted individuals and society through education.
This years event, themed Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession, underscores the importance of teamwork and shared responsibility in strengthening education delivery.
But the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has assured of the federal government commitment to improve the welfare, recognition, and professional support of teachers across Nigeria. Dr. Alausa stated these on Monday during a symposium in Abuja ahead of the celebrations scheduled for Sunday, October 5.
World Teachers Day, first proclaimed in 1994 by UNESCO in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Education International (EI), and UNICEF, is celebrated annually to honour teachers and highlight their vital role in shaping education and society. It traces its origins to the 1966 ILO/UNESCO recommendation on the status of teachers.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Alausa described teachers as the custodians of knowledge, the builders of character, and the architects of the nations future. He emphasised that teachers remain the foundation of all professions and deserve improved welfare packages.
Honestly, you have the most important and the best profession in the Country. Who makes a doctor? Who makes an engineer? Who makes a professor? It is the teacher. That is why the government is working assiduously to come up with better packages for you. Light is at the end of the tunnel, he said.
He further highlighted the importance of collaboration in modern teaching, noting: For too long, teaching has often been practiced in isolation. But when teachers collaborate, students are the ultimate beneficiaries. They receive richer, more engaging instruction and witness firsthand the power of teamwork and shared responsibility.
Reassuring teachers of the governments support, he added, When you want the highest quality of education, what do you need? A high-quality teacher. And when you want a high-quality teacher, what should you do? Give them the recognition, the support, the training, and the cooperation that they need.
The Minister further stressed the need for collaboration within the teaching profession, noting that students benefit most when teachers work together.
He assured that the government was determined to provide teachers with the recognition, training, and support they require to thrive.
