Federal Government begins regularisation of verified PTA teachers to tackle staffing shortages in Unity Colleges after years of appeals

President Bola Tinubu has approved the recruitment process for 3,252 verified Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) teachers into the Federal Civil Service, marking a significant step towards addressing chronic teacher shortages in Federal Unity Colleges and improving the quality of education across the country.

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The Tinubu Approves 3,252 PTA Teachers initiative is expected to regularise the appointments of thousands of teachers who have served in Federal Unity Colleges and Federal Technical Colleges for up to 25 years without permanent employment.

The approval was announced on Thursday by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah.

According to Alausa, priority will be given to verified PTA teachers who have sustained teaching activities in federal schools despite years of uncertainty over their employment status.

“This is a president who cares deeply for Nigeria and for the future of our country,” the minister said.

“The president has approved the recruitment of teachers. Priority will be given to absorbing verified PTA teachers, many of whom have served in our Federal Unity Colleges and Federal Technical Colleges for almost 25 years.

This approval provides them with the opportunity to become part of the mainstream public service.”

Alausa explained that the exercise followed a comprehensive verification conducted by an inter-ministerial committee established to screen eligible PTA teachers across Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.

He disclosed that the committee successfully verified 3,252 teachers across the cadres of Education Officers, Assistant Education Officers and Technical Instructors, clearing the way for their regularisation once all statutory public service requirements are completed.

The minister described the approval as one of the Tinubu administration’s most significant interventions in the education sector, saying it would strengthen the teaching workforce while recognising the dedication of teachers who had kept classrooms functioning for many years.

According to him, the recruitment will improve the teacher-to-student ratio in Federal Unity Colleges, preserve institutional knowledge and enhance the quality of classroom instruction.

“The recruitment forms part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to improve teacher quality and reposition the colleges as centres of academic excellence,” he said.

Alausa added that the Ministry of Education would continue working with relevant government agencies to complete the remaining statutory processes required before the affected teachers receive their final letters of appointment in line with public service regulations.

He thanked President Tinubu for approving the exercise, describing the decision as evidence of the administration’s commitment to placing education at the centre of national development.

“Investing in teachers is fundamental to building a stronger education system, as no education system can rise above the quality of its teachers,” the minister said.

He assured all verified PTA teachers that the regularisation process would be concluded with transparency, fairness and due diligence.

For decades, Federal Unity Colleges have relied heavily on PTA-funded teachers to bridge persistent staffing shortages resulting from inadequate recruitment into the federal teaching service.

Many of these teachers have worked alongside permanently employed colleagues for between 10 and 25 years, carrying out identical classroom responsibilities despite lacking the job security and benefits of civil servants.

Education stakeholders and the affected teachers have repeatedly urged successive administrations to absorb the PTA teachers into the Federal Civil Service, arguing that the prolonged arrangement placed a financial burden on parents while leaving thousands of experienced educators in precarious employment.

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The latest approval represents a landmark policy shift aimed at resolving one of the longest-running staffing challenges in Nigeria’s federal education system, while strengthening the capacity of Unity Colleges to deliver quality education under the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.