By Jumoke Olaitan/Funmilayo Adeyemi
Education stakeholders have unveiled a nationwide movement to mobilise 200,000 teachers to drive reforms aimed at restoring the dignity, quality and attractiveness of the teaching profession.
The initiative was unveiled at the “Let There Be Teachers Conference 2026” on Friday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference, themed “From Record to Reform: A National HOPE Attempt for Teachers,” is designed to reposition teachers at the centre of education development.
The Convener, Mr Oluwaseyi Anifowose, said the effort was a collective national campaign to strengthen classroom delivery and improve learning outcomes across the country.
Anifowose said the movement would bring together teachers, government institutions, private sector actors and development partners to advance advocacy, training and professional development.
According to him, the reform campaign would be driven by at least 200,000 voices committed to improving education standards nationwide.
He added that the conference, scheduled for October, would feature the launch of a Graduate Teachers Fellowship.
The convener said the fellowship would attract talented young graduates into the teaching profession through partnerships with Colleges of Education and university Faculties of Education.
“Our Colleges of Education should not be seen as a last resort or dumping ground. We want the best minds to teach our students,” he said.
He noted that the fellowship would equip teachers not only to enter classrooms but to excel, lead and drive transformation within the education system.
Anifowose expressed optimism that ongoing engagements with policymakers would yield sustainable reforms capable of strengthening the country’s education sector.
The Director, Colleges of Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Uchenna Uba, commended the initiative, describing it as timely and aligned with efforts to improve learning outcomes.
Uba, represented by Dr Iyabode Ali, Deputy Director in the ministry, said no education system could rise above the quality and motivation of its teachers.
She called for sustained collaboration among government, civil society and development partners to elevate the profession.
Also speaking, Mr Johnson Dasilva of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) identified key challenges facing teachers, including declining social recognition, poor welfare and shortages in schools.
Dasilva warned that without sustained reforms and improved incentives, the country could face serious teacher shortages in the coming years.
He advocated improved motivation schemes, stronger professional standards, increased budgetary allocation to education and greater teacher involvement in curriculum development.
Similarly, the Executive Director of the “Let There Be Teachers” initiative, Ms Sola Amudipe, said the movement was conceived in response to longstanding concerns about the neglect of teachers.
Amudipe stressed that meaningful education reform would remain elusive unless teachers were accorded adequate recognition, dignity and professional support.
She noted that national development depended largely on the quality, visibility and motivation of teachers.
She called on government, development partners and private organisations to support efforts to reposition the teaching profession as a cornerstone of national development. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
Edited by Tosin Kolade
