Twelve states in Nigeria have not yet implemented the 2019 minimum wage of ₦30,000 for teachers, according to data from the National Union of Teachers (NUT).
While some states have adopted the wage, it remains partially implemented at the primary school level.
The states that have not implemented the minimum wage for teachers include Abia, Adamawa, Benue, Cross River, Gombe, Imo, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Bauchi, and Zamfara. Furthermore, teachers in primary schools in Anambra, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Enugu, Jigawa, Kaduna, Nasarawa, and Yobe also have not received the mandated minimum wage.
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In May 2024, the Nigeria Labour Congress in Zamfara State accused the state government of paying teachers only ₦8,000 monthly. Similarly, the Abia State government faced criticism for failing to implement the minimum wage not just for teachers, but for all workers in the state.
NUT President Titus Amba expressed concern over the lack of action, stating, “It would be recalled that the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari used the 2020 World Teachers’ Day to acknowledge the low status of teachers and announce the approval of some welfare packages for teachers to revitalise and reposition the education sector for greater service delivery in the country.”
These packages included a Special Salary Scale for teachers in basic and secondary schools, the reintroduction of bursary awards for education students, a special pension scheme for teachers, an extension of the retirement age for teachers, and the development of a career path policy for the teaching profession in Nigeria.
Other proposed incentives encompassed building low-cost houses for teachers in rural areas, providing loan facilities for agriculture, housing, cars, and motorcycles, as well as offering free tuition and automatic admission for the biological children of teachers.
Amba added, “It is worrisome, however, to observe that four years after, most of the approvals have remained unimplemented. We at this moment call on both the federal and state governments to ensure full implementation of the approved incentives to boost the morale of teachers in the discharge of their professional duties.”
