Teaching in Crisis: Expert Urges FG to Rescue Noble Profession

Favour Ishember, Abuja

Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, former Registrar of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), has called on the Federal Government to establish a National Teachers’ and Caregiver’s Welfare Commission to address the challenges facing educators in Nigeria.

Speaking at the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) International Teachers’ Day celebration in Abuja, Ajiboye emphasized the need for greater attention to teacher welfare.

He advocated for platforms allowing teachers to participate in policy-making, professional communities for collaboration, and leadership opportunities through mentorship programs.

Ajiboye warned that the teaching profession is becoming endangered due to poor treatment, lack of recognition, and dwindling interest among young Nigerians.

He recommended increased funding for education infrastructure, revised teacher welfare policies, and a nationwide recruitment campaign to attract more teachers.

“Establish a national teachers’ and caregiver’s Welfare Commssion where attention would be given to these two distinct categories of educators,” he said.

To revitalize Nigeria’s teacher education system, Ajiboye stressed the importance of placing teachers’ voices at the core of reforms, tailoring curricula to real-world challenges, and focusing professional development programs on local issues and global best practices.

“Teaching, once regarded as a noble profession, is now facing an existential crisis in Nigeria. The alarming drop in interest in teaching as a career, along with the mass departure of qualified teachers, is a sign that urgent intervention is needed. It’s time to recognize the gravity of this issue and take immediate action to restore the dignity of teaching,” Ajiboye lamented.