Years ago, my late father—who was then chair of a local school board—quietly administered a basic test to the teachers in that school. It was the same test the pupils were being asked to take. Only a handful of the teachers passed.
That moment revealed a hard truth I would carry into my years of leading education system transformation across Nigeria: We cannot fix learning without fixing who is teaching.
The Twin Crisis in Nigerian Education
Nigeria stands at a critical juncture in its development journey. Among the most pressing challenges threatening the country’s future is the crisis of teacher shortages and the urgent need to transform our education workforce.
While the crisis of out-of-school children rightly dominates headlines—with over 10.2 million Nigerian children currently out of school —
There is an equally urgent and deeply intertwined crisis: the teacher workforce crisis.
These two challenges are twin problems that must be tackled simultaneously. Without enough qualified teachers, our education system will continue to fail the children who are already in school, even as we strive to bring more into classrooms.
A National Shortage, A National Risk
Recent data underscores the scale of the problem:
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- The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) estimates that Nigeria has a shortfall of over 277,537 teachersacross public primary and junior secondary schools.
- According to UNESCO, Sub-Saharan Africa will need 15 million more teachers by 2030 to meet global education targets—with Nigeria among the largest contributors to that shortfall.
- Pupil-to-trained-teacher ratios remain alarmingly high, averaging 58:1 in primary and 43:1 in secondary schools across Nigeria—far above international recommendations.
- Only about two-thirds of Nigerian teachers meet the minimum qualification standards.
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At the heart of this crisis is a human resource emergency—a significant shortage of qualified, motivated, and well-supported teachers. Too many classrooms, particularly in rural Nigeria, are staffed by under-qualified or overstretched educators. Some teachers are responsible for teaching multiple subjects without adequate training, mentorship, or materials.
The teacher is not just a facilitator of learning. The teacher is the change agent in the classroom. The adult in the room. The one who nurtures minds, instills values, and drives outcomes.
Yet, the question must be asked: What training does a teacher receive after obtaining the qualifying National Certificate of Education (NCE)? In too many cases, the answer is little to none. This gap is unacceptable.
Recent Signs of Policy Momentum
There have been recent promising signals that teacher development is gaining national policy attention.
No education system can outperform the quality of its teachers
Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa recently emphasised this in a statement that sends a clear challenge to policymakers and practitioners alike.
In July 2024, the Federal Ministry Of Education, Nigeria, in collaboration with UNESCO, inaugurated a 9-member Technical Committee on Teacher Training and Support, tasked with reviewing existing training systems and designing new modules for digital and pedagogical upskilling.
More recently, ahead of the September 2025 nationwide curriculum rollout, the Federal Government announced a pre-curriculum teacher training initiative to prepare every primary and secondary school teacher across the country.
These efforts reflect a growing recognition that training must not stop with certification. Continuous professional development, structured mentorship, and exposure to modern pedagogical tools are non-negotiable.
Technology as a Force Multiplier
In a nation as vast and varied as Nigeria, technology must be the force multiplier. Digitally-enabled teacher development models must be at the heart of our strategy. Whether through mobile-accessible learning platforms, low-data offline content, or peer coaching powered by digital dashboards, technology allows us to upskill teachers at scale and at speed.
It offers scalable, cost-effective means to deliver ongoing training—especially in regions that conventional workshops and inspectors may never reach. From SMS-based prompts to offline tablet-based lesson guides, our vision must be to equip every teacher with tools that fit their context, not burden them with devices they can’t afford or sustain.
Therefore, digital empowerment must not be a privilege for urban educators—it must be a baseline for all, especially those in rural or under-resourced communities.
It’s Already Working—Just Not Everywhere
There is growing evidence that when we invest in our teachers with the right tools, training, and support, learning outcomes improve dramatically. A growing body of research affirms that teacher quality is the single most important in-school factor influencing student achievement.
Nobel Laureate Professor Michael Kremer’s 2022 study confirmed that pedagogy-centred teacher support models can deliver up to 53% more learning compared to traditional classrooms.
These findings were echoed by The World Bank‘s Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP), which cited teacher training and structured instruction as two of the most cost-effective “smart buys” in global education.
It is important to note that these global insights are already taking root in Nigeria, with several states pioneering successful, scalable models.
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- Abia State has initiated targeted teacher upskilling and coaching in rural communities, driving improved literacy outcomes.
- Anambra State has prioritised digital lesson planning and monitoring, with early evidence of stronger foundational learning gains.
- In Edo, Lagos, Kwara, Bayelsa, and Jigawa, large-scale reforms are showing measurable improvements in teaching quality and learning outcomes, driven by consistent teacher training, lesson support tools, and performance monitoring.
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These state-led interventions are proof that scaling what already works is both possible and urgent. To feel the full impact nationwide, we must now expand the reach, deepen the investment, and ensure sustainability across all 36 states and the FCT.
Five Bold Actions Nigeria Must Take
To scale teacher effectiveness nationwide, Nigeria must take bold policy actions:
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- Diagnose the Workforce: Conduct a National Needs Assessment: We need a clear map of teacher shortages—by subject, region, and qualification level—to guide recruitment and deployment.
- Reform Teacher Training Institutions: Revise curricula to reflect modern pedagogy, classroom management, digital fluency, and differentiated instruction techniques.
- Incentivise Excellence and Retention: Create competitive career pathways, performance-based rewards, and rural hardship allowances to retain top talent.
- Scale In-Service Training and Embedded Coaching: Support continuous professional development via peer mentorship, learning platforms, and on-the-job feedback.
- Expand Public-Private Partnerships for Teacher Development: Leverage the expertise, resources, and agility of private sector actors to co-develop scalable teacher support models.
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This is not Charity. This is Strategy.
Above all, the teacher must be restored to their rightful place in national consciousness. As I stated in a keynote earlier this year:
If it is true that it takes a village to raise a child, then the village must empower the village teacher to educate that child.
The teacher is not a cog in the wheel—they are the engine. Their empowerment is not charity; it is strategy. If we are serious about building a productive, peaceful, and prosperous Nigeria, we must place our teachers at the centre of national policy.
A well-trained, digitally empowered, and motivated education workforce is not a luxury – it is a necessity. Let us rise to this challenge and transform not just our classrooms, but our country.
