The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has pledged to make teaching one of the most attractive professions in Nigeria if elected president.
Adebayo made the pledge in a statement issued on Monday by the Adewole Adebayo-Bugaje Presidential Campaign to mark the 2026 World Teachers’ Day.
The statement was signed by Comrade Mark Adebayo, Head, Directorate of Media and Communications, Adebayo-Bugaje Presidential Campaign.
He commended Nigerian teachers for their resilience, creativity and commitment to shaping the country, despite what he described as difficult working conditions, systemic neglect, dilapidated classrooms, inadequate teaching aids and delayed entitlements.
Adebayo recalled the formation of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in July 1931, saying pioneer educators, including Alvan Ikoku, brought together regional teachers’ associations into a national body.
He said the NUT was established not only as a trade union but also as a platform for national development, educational standardisation and the defence of the dignity of teachers against colonial neglect.
‘Today, we look back at that history and realize that the spirit of 1931 is still very much alive in our classrooms,’ he said.
Adebayo said Nigeria’s achievements across various sectors could be traced to the contributions of teachers who had discovered, nurtured and moulded generations of Nigerians.
He, however, lamented what he described as the reduction of teaching to a calling of sacrifice without adequate reward.
‘We cannot expect a 21st-century educational miracle from 19th-century infrastructure and demoralized personnel,’ he said.
According to him, his administration would pursue what he described as a three-pronged revolution in the education sector, focusing on remuneration, infrastructure and institutional respect.
He pledged to restructure teachers’ salary scales, allowances and pensions to ensure they receive what he described as premium wages that reflect their importance to national security and development.
Adebayo also promised to transform classrooms into technology-driven centres of innovation, with clean environments, digital tools and well-equipped laboratories.
He further pledged to restore the societal prestige, professional autonomy and dignity of educators across primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.
‘To our primary school teachers laying the foundation, our secondary school teachers guiding our youth, and our university lecturers steering research – we see you, we value you, and help is on the way. Happy World Teachers’ Day,’ he said.