Senate President Godswill Akpabio has called for enhanced remuneration and an improved work environment for teachers.
Akpabio said it is only by doing this that the nation can achieve a functional education system.
The Senate President also called for a return to “the good old days” when school teachers were adored, well catered for and highly regarded and respected in society.
Akpabio spoke yesterday in Abuja on the second day of the two-day maiden edition of the Nigeria Education Forum (NEF, 2025), organised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education in Nigeria (COSCEN) and partners.
Represented by the Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, the Senate President said: “Provide the environment that is conducive for them (teachers) to operate and inculcate knowledge into our children. That is the only way we can guarantee the future of our children and the future of our education.
“So, for education to succeed and for Nigeria to succeed, the interests of teachers must be addressed. Adequate remuneration is a sine qua non for the success of our education venture,” he said.
Akpabio announced that the Senate was working to step up funding, improve accountability, and expand access to digital learning with a view to aligning the educational system with the needs of the country’s modern economy.
He added: “We know that government alone cannot do it. Education is a national project. A national project succeeds when everyone – Federal, states and local governments, including the private and public sectors – works towards the same goal.”
The Sente President noted that the realisation informed the call for Local Government’s autonomy to enable the third tier of government contributes its own quota, including supporting the education sector.
