The revelation by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) that Nigeria faces a shortage of 194,876 teachers in public primary schools is a damning indictment of how successive governments have abandoned the future of millions of Nigerian children.
According to Comrade Audu Titus Amba, the NUT National President, citing statistics from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), this manpower crisis has grave implications for the quality of education and learning outcomes across the country.
What he did not say, perhaps out of professional courtesy, is that this shortage represents a national emergency that demands immediate and decisive action.
Consider the stark reality: Nigeria has approximately 33.4 million children enrolled in primary schools and another 13.9 million in secondary schools. According to UNESCO standards, the recommended pupil-teacher ratio for primary education should not exceed 40:1, with 30:1 being the ideal target for quality learning.
For secondary education, the standard is 30:1 or lower. A simple calculation reveals the magnitude of our crisis. At the minimum UNESCO standard of 40:1, Nigeria needs at least 835,000 primary school teachers. For secondary schools, at a ratio of 30:1, we need approximately 463,333 teachers. This means the country requires close to 1.3 million teachers just to meet the bare minimum international standards for basic education.
The shortfall of 194,876 teachers in primary schools alone, as reported by UBEC, tells only part of the story. It suggests that even the current teaching force is inadequate by our own modest expectations, let alone international standards. But there is a more troubling dimension to this crisis that is often swept under the carpet: a significant proportion of those currently employed as teachers in our public schools are themselves inadequately qualified for the job.
Many hold certificates from dubious institutions or possess qualifications that do not meet the minimum requirements for effective teaching. Some have never received any formal training .They are teachers only in name, thrust into classrooms because bodies are needed to stand before children, qualified or not.
This double crisis – insufficient numbers and questionable quality – explains why Nigeria continues to produce graduates who can barely read or write, why our pupils consistently perform poorly in both national and international assessments, and why parents who can afford it are fleeing public schools in droves.
How can we expect quality learning outcomes when a single teacher is responsible for 60, 70, or even 100 pupils in overcrowded classrooms? How can we demand accountability from teachers who were never properly trained in the first place?
The NUT president’s call for government at all levels to address the teacher shortage resonates with the reality that education is on the concurrent list, requiring action from federal, state and local governments. Yet what we have witnessed over the years is a systematic abdication of responsibility. State governments, which bear primary responsibility for basic education, have been the worst culprits. Despite the monthly inflow of funds from the Universal Basic Education Intervention Fund, many states have treated teacher recruitment as an afterthought, if they think about it at all.
Some states have not conducted any meaningful teacher recruitment in over a decade. Others recruit teachers on contract terms that deny them job security and decent working conditions, ensuring that the profession attracts only those who have no better options.
The federal government has not covered itself in glory either. Since 2020, promises were made to improve teachers’ welfare and make the profession more attractive. According to Amba, apart from the new retirement age of 65 years – which has been implemented by only 22 states and the FCT – most of the approved incentives remain on paper.
This is the familiar pattern of Nigerian governance: announce policies with fanfare, set up committees, make promises, and then do absolutely nothing. Teachers watch as their welfare packages are “approved” but never implemented, as their salaries remain stagnant while inflation erodes their purchasing power, and as they are expected to perform miracles in classrooms that lack basic teaching materials.
Is it any wonder that teaching has become one of the least attractive professions for young Nigerians? Bright graduates who might have considered teaching as a noble calling now see it as a last resort, something to endure while waiting for better opportunities. The profession that should be attracting the best minds is instead getting those who could not secure employment elsewhere. This is not sustainable if we are serious about building a knowledge economy or achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on quality education for all.
What is needed is not another committee or policy document but urgent, massive action on multiple fronts. First, there must be an immediate recruitment drive to fill the current teacher shortage. Second, the recruitment process must prioritise quality over political considerations. Third, there must be a comprehensive audit of the existing teaching force to identify those who lack the basic qualifications or competence to teach.
Fourth, teacher welfare must be radically improved upon to make the profession attractive to qualified young people.
Countries that have made dramatic improvements in education outcomes – like Finland, Singapore and South Korea – did so by first making teaching a respected, well-compensated profession.
The excuse that there is no money will not wash. A country that can afford the opulent lifestyles of its politicians, that can find billions for questionable projects, surely can find the resources to employ and properly remunerate teachers. It is a question of priorities. We either invest in educating our children now, or we condemn another generation to ignorance and its attendant problems.
