The Labour Party candidate for the House of Representatives, Owerri Federal Constituency, Dr. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has called for a comprehensive national rescue of Nigeria’s education system, warning that continued neglect of teachers and the sector could undermine the country’s future.
Anyanwu-Akeredolu made the call in a statement marking the 2026 World Teachers’ Day, observed on Monday, October 5, in which she urged governments at all levels to restore the dignity of the teaching profession and make education a sustained national priority.
She said this year’s theme, “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures,” was particularly significant, coming 60 years after the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.
According to her, Nigeria must honestly confront the question of whether it is truly standing with its teachers.
“The honest answer is that we have not done enough,” she said, noting that teachers remain at the frontline of nation-building despite working under difficult conditions.
The former Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development said her understanding of the importance of teachers was shaped by her upbringing as the daughter of a headmaster.
She described teachers as nation-builders whose responsibilities go beyond classroom instruction to include character formation, discipline, mentorship, talent development and the preparation of citizens for productive roles in society.
“The doctor, engineer, scientist, lawyer, entrepreneur, farmer, politician and even the teacher himself or herself all passed through the hands of teachers,” she said.
Ayanwu-Akeredolu expressed concern that inadequate infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, insufficient teaching materials, heavy workloads and poor remuneration had contributed to the declining attractiveness of the teaching profession.
She warned that failure to improve teachers’ welfare and professional status could discourage young Nigerians from pursuing teaching careers, thereby deepening the crisis in the education sector.
The Labour Party candidate said the challenge, however, extended beyond the welfare of teachers, pointing to the large number of out-of-school children and the growing difficulty faced by graduates in securing meaningful employment.
She described the situation as “a national development emergency,” warning that every child denied education and every graduate unable to deploy acquired skills represented a loss of human capital.
To reverse the trend, Anyanwu-Akeredolu called for what she described as “nothing less than a national rescue of education.”
She urged governments to ensure adequate and timely remuneration for teachers, improve their working conditions and make continuous professional development accessible and meaningful.
She also advocated massive investment in public education infrastructure, including classrooms, laboratories, libraries, digital resources, water, sanitation, electricity and safe learning environments.
On the out-of-school children crisis, she called for targeted interventions addressing poverty, insecurity, displacement, disability and gender-related barriers that prevent children from accessing education.
She further advocated stronger technical and vocational education, entrepreneurship, digital skills and STEM programmes to equip young Nigerians with skills relevant to the modern economy.
Ayanwu-Akeredolu also called for closer collaboration among government, industry and educational institutions to tackle graduate unemployment, stressing the need to strengthen the relationship between education, skills development, research and the labour market.
She said education should no longer be viewed merely as government expenditure but as an investment in Nigeria’s most valuable resource—its people.
“As we celebrate teachers today, let us go beyond flowers, speeches and social-media tributes. Stand with teachers. Pay them fairly. Train them continuously. Equip them properly. Protect their dignity. Give them the tools to teach,” she said.
She also urged stakeholders to ensure that every Nigerian child has access to quality education.
“The Nigeria we desire cannot be built on an educational system that is collapsing under the weight of neglect.
“If we rescue education, we rescue our children.
“If we empower teachers, we empower the nation.
“If we invest in human capital, we invest in Nigeria’s future,” she said.
Ayanwu-Akeredolu saluted Nigerian teachers for their resilience and commitment, urging the country to reciprocate their sacrifices by providing the support and resources required for them to effectively shape the nation’s future.
