EDITORIAL: No Union, No Voice, No Pension — The Injustice Private School Teachers Endure (1)

I am deeply saddened that retired police officers have reached the point of planning a peaceful protest just to demand what rightfully belongs to them.

Shortly after news of the planned protest broke, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, directed all Commissioners of Police across the country, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to provide maximum security for the protesting retirees.

In a statement released on Sunday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the IGP also cautioned the public against spreading misinformation around the protest.

He observed that certain narratives were being deliberately twisted to discredit the Federal Government and undermine the current leadership of the Nigeria Police Force.

At the heart of the protest is a long-standing demand for improved pensions, especially the call by retired officers to be exempted from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

But let’s be honest—what the police are going through is not unique. It mirrors the quiet pain of another important group: teachers, particularly those in private schools.

Pension is not just a deduction—it is a promise. It is an agreement between employer and employee to secure the future. For teachers, it should mean stability and financial relief after retirement. But sadly, that’s not the reality.

Private school teachers, especially, face two major challenges regarding Pensions.

The first problem is poor pension remittance due to low salaries.

Since pension contributions are calculated based on a teacher’s salary, the lower the pay, the lower the pension. Many private school teachers receive such poor remuneration that the remitted amounts are practically negligible. After decades of meritorious and deducted services, a teacher’s total pension package may not even reach one million naira. And worse still, access to this small amount is another struggle. Upon retirement, even with all required documents, the retiree is only allowed to access 25% of the pension—and that too under very strict conditions. The rest is locked away and received as monthly stipends. Many have died waiting. It’s disheartening.

Another problem is complete non-remittance by employers.

In many cases, private school owners don’t remit anything at all on behalf of their teachers. These teachers are essentially building castles on sand—working for years with no retirement plan. That is a dangerous way to live. It defeats the whole purpose of pension. A teacher contributes monthly from their salary, and the employer is expected to add a percentage and remit both. But while teachers in public schools receive large pension sums along with gratuities, many in the private sector are left to beg or suffer in silence.

When state governments default on pensions, public school teachers take to the streets in protest. But private school teachers? They are dying in silence. There is no active union to fight for them. No platform to air their grievances. And that’s where the government needs to step in—urgently.

So, what should be done?

First, government intervention is critical. Authorities must ensure that private school owners prioritize pension remittance for their staff. The same energy used in pursuing tax defaulters should be directed towards enforcing pension compliance in private schools. A formal reporting or complaint platform—possibly through pension fund administrators—should be set up for teachers to lodge complaints about delayed or non-existent remittances. More importantly, the government must not shy away from sanctioning schools that default.

Second, the pension formula itself needs urgent review. Currently, pension contributions are often based only on a teacher’s basic salary, which is ridiculously low. Meanwhile, tax deductions are based on total salary packages in most schools.

That’s unfair. Pension calculations should also be based on the total earnings—allowances and all. This will ensure that what a teacher receives at the end of their career is meaningful and adequate.

That said, teachers too have a responsibility. Relying solely on pension is not wise in this economy. Personal savings and investments must be encouraged. Every teacher must take their financial future seriously.

In the next part of this series, I will feature interviews with teachers across various schools—sharing real-life stories of their pension experiences and how school owners are handling (or mishandling) their welfare.