By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
As Nigeria marks the World's Teachers Day, teachers in the Federal Capital Territory have called on the FCT Administration to establish housing estates solely for teachers and other welfare measures to improve their living and working conditions.
The appeal was made by the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), FCT Chapter, at the joint national celebration of the 2026 World Teachers’ Day in Abuja on Monday.
Chairman of ASUSS in the FCT, Julius Ogundiran, said the rising cost of accommodation in Abuja had become a major challenge for teachers, forcing some to undertake long daily journeys from neighbouring areas while others allegedly resort to sleeping in school classrooms.
Ogundiran acknowledged the efforts of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, in transforming the education sector in areas of rehabilitation of schools, commended the administration for the prompt payment of teachers’ salaries.
However, he said salary regularity alone was not enough to address the welfare challenges confronting teachers in the nation’s capital.
According to him, affordable housing remains one of the most pressing issues affecting teachers’ morale and productivity.
“Most of our colleagues, even in Garki here, are coming from Suleja or Abaji, and some are even sleeping in classrooms because they can't afford houses in town.”
He therefore urged the FCT Administration to construct dedicated housing estates for teachers or make subsidized land available to them across the six area councils.
Ogundiran said improved welfare would strengthen teachers’ commitment to their responsibilities and ultimately contribute to better educational outcomes.
“If the government stands with the teachers, the teachers will be strong. If the teachers are strong, education will be strong. If education is strong, the nation will be strong,” he said.
“We have been hearing that the reward of teachers is in heaven. We don't have to go to heaven before we start carrying our reward—let us enjoy it now”, he added.
The ASUSS chairman also stressed that teachers should not be expected to depend on students or parents for their welfare.
“We are not politicians; we don't have any other revenue that we are collecting from students."
A teacher at Junior Secondary School, Tungan Maje, Grace Philip, also lamented over what she perceived as the marginalization of teachers in national development.
“In everything they are doing in this country, teachers always come last,” she said.
Philip also decried delays in FCT teacher promotions and urged authorities to address grassroots challenges facing teachers.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to teacher welfare, professional development, and increased investment in education.
Represented by a ministry official, Kikelomo Ogundele, Bagudu described investment in teachers as “an indispensable investment in Nigeria’s future.”
He stressed that no education reform could succeed without well-trained, motivated, and adequately supported teachers.
According to Bagudu, teachers play a foundational role in virtually every sector of the economy because they shape characters, nurture talents, inspire ambition, and prepare young Nigerians to contribute meaningfully to society.
Chairman of the occasion and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Oluwaseun Falaye, charged leaders in educational institutions and workplaces to uphold integrity, transparency, and accountability.
Falaye, represented by the Executive Director, Administration, Samaila Abdul, said teachers’ influence extends beyond classroom instruction to nation-building and the development of future generations.
He noted that effective leadership should not be measured solely by authority, position, or technical competence but by integrity, fairness, responsibility, discipline, and commitment to service.
NewsGrid reports that the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration provided a platform for stakeholders to underscore the critical role of teachers in national development while highlighting the welfare, professional and institutional challenges facing educators across Nigeria.
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