Joe Ajaero demands boost in education funding, warning that neglecting teachers endangers Nigeria’s future and worsens the education crisis

Joe Ajaero education funding has become a central call from Nigeria’s top labour leader, who warned that poor investment in teachers threatens the nation’s future.

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Speaking at the 2025 World Teachers’ Day celebration in Abuja, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, said teachers remain underpaid, undervalued, and overworked despite their crucial role in shaping the country’s development.

“The paradox is stark: while society heaps praises on teachers, they remain the most neglected and starved profession. Teachers are praised to heaven but starved on earth,” Ajaero said in a statement that captured growing frustration across the sector.

He urged the Federal Government to increase its education budget to meet the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) benchmark of allocating at least six per cent of GDP and 20 per cent of public expenditure to education.

According to Ajaero, Nigeria’s current spending falls well below the global standard, deepening teacher shortages and worsening the student–teacher ratio in both urban and rural schools.

The NLC leader also condemned the widespread exploitation of teachers in private schools, many of whom, he said, are denied fair pay, union rights, and social protection.

He called on the Minister of Labour and Employment and the Minister of Education to act decisively to protect teachers’ rights and allow private school educators to unionise, in line with International Labour Organisation conventions 87 and 98.

“You cannot give what you do not have. Teachers who are not adequately trained, motivated, and supported cannot be expected to deliver quality education,” Ajaero cautioned.

“If we continue on this path, the future of our children and indeed the country is at stake.”

He also warned that the ongoing neglect of teachers could fuel brain drain in the education sector, as many professionals seek better opportunities abroad or in other industries.

Ajaero emphasised the need for a national framework to train unqualified teachers, expand professional development, and address the high pupil-to-teacher ratio that remains far above international standards.

World Teachers’ Day 2025 was marked under the theme, “The Teachers We Need for the Education We Want: The Global Imperative to Reverse Teacher Shortages.”

Ajaero said the message was particularly relevant for Nigeria, where the teacher deficit has reached a critical level.

He urged all levels of government to show political will by prioritising teacher welfare and implementing structural reforms to transform Nigeria’s struggling education system.

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The Joe Ajaero education funding appeal reflects a growing consensus among labour unions that meaningful progress in national development begins with investing in teachers the true architects of the country’s future.