By | Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abdul Shafas, has called on the Federal Government to promote teachers without attaching such promotions to the availability of vacancies, describing the existing arrangement as unfair to teachers.
Shafas made the call on Monday while speaking with journalists at the Eagle Square, Abuja, venue of the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration.
He said the NUT was concerned about the delay in the promotion of teachers, particularly those due for promotion in 2025 and 2026, stressing that teachers should not be required to wait for vacancies to be created before they could advance in their careers.
According to him, teachers are not civil servants working in offices who can easily be replaced or moved around, but professionals deployed across schools and communities who deserve timely career progression.
“We have an issue at stake that has to do with our members, which came as a result of vacancies for promotion. As teachers, we are also entitled to have chances before we can be promoted,” he said.
Shafas explained that although the Minister had agreed that outstanding promotions for 2025 and those due in 2026 should be addressed, the continued attachment of promotions to available vacancies remained a major concern.
“The problem is that it is still being attached to vacancies. Vacancies must be created from various agencies before a teacher working in the field can be promoted. We don’t want that. Promote teachers,” he said.
He stressed that promotion was an important motivation for teachers to remain committed to their profession until retirement.
“We don’t have any other source of income. This is one of the good things government can do for teachers for them to continue doing their work until retirement,” he added.
NUT Seeks Attention to Hinterland Schools
The NUT chairman also appealed to the FCT Minister to extend ongoing school rehabilitation efforts to schools located in the hinterlands.
While commending the minister for efforts to rehabilitate some schools within the city centre and its environs, Shafas said many schools in remote communities remained in poor condition.
“Our concern is that schools in the hinterland are not being adequately taken care of. We are appealing to the minister that as he takes care of schools within the city centres and environs, he should equally look into issues affecting schools within the hinterland,” he said.
According to him, some of the affected schools lack conducive learning environments for pupils and adequate working conditions for teachers.
Women Teachers Face Same Challenges — NUT
On whether female teachers face peculiar challenges in the profession, Shafas said the challenges confronting women teachers were largely the same as those confronting teachers generally.
He noted that issues surrounding teachers’ welfare, remuneration and career progression were not peculiar to women.
“Women are not facing any particular issue. Any issue being faced by women is being faced by all teachers in the federation. It is not a matter of gender,” he said.
Addressing questions on alleged abuse of women teachers, particularly given the large number of women in the teaching profession, Shafas said he was not aware of any systematic abuse of female teachers.
He maintained that teachers, irrespective of gender, faced similar workplace challenges.
Kogi Female Teacher: NUT Seeks Justice
Commenting on the recent case involving a female teacher in Kogi State who reportedly faced disciplinary action following an incident involving a student, Shafas said the matter should not be viewed through the prism of gender.
He said teachers across the country face various hazards in the course of performing their duties, including confrontations with parents over disciplinary measures taken against pupils.
“It is not because she is a woman. What happened in Kogi is what used to happen in other areas. We know about that. That is why we say the issue of the teacher’s work has a lot of hazards,” he said.
Shafas, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the incident and called for justice for the teacher.
“We are not happy about what has happened. It is not what is supposed to happen in the profession. It is very unfortunate that it happened, and we seek justice for her. It is not supposed to be like that,” he stated.
