Opinion
Teaching: A Profession In Trouble
Four days ago, teachers in Nigeria joined their counterparts globally to celebrate World Teachers Day, a day set aside by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), to honour one of the world’s oldest and hard working professions.
Since its inception in 1994, one can hardly remember the year the event was widely celebrated as that of this year, particularly in Nigeria. Indeed, many people testified they heard about World Teachers Day for the first time this year. What could have made this year’s celebration seem so special? Could it be the level of publicity given to it both in the social and conventional media? Could it be that teachers realised the importance of celebrating themselves and went all out to do so?
It was indeed amazing how the day was commemorated. In many states, academic activities were called off especially in public primary and secondary schools to enable teachers participate in match past, seminars, road walk and other activities. Many state governors identified with teachers in special ways. Some made lots of mouth-watering promises after the teachers in the usual way, marshaled out their problems while others like the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, appreciated some teachers in his state with the gift of brand new cars.
There were also a lot of programmes both on radio and television stations to remind the public about the importance of teachers in the society and the need to appreciate them.
No doubt, teachers play very pivotal role in any society. Nobody, no country can claim to be anything without the impact of teachers.
Incidentally, like the biblical saying of the stone that was rejected by the builders which became the corner stone, teachers in many countries are not valued. They are paid less respect, less money than those in many other comparable profession. The story of how teachers’ salaries are owed for months in Nigeria is no longer news. Successive governments deem it unnecessary to invest in the education sector resulting in poor funding, staffing and training of teachers.
Even parents who expectedly should value teachers for the formative roles they play for the children, most time do the opposite. A teacher who was interviewed by a reporter during the just-celebrated World Teachers Day, narrated how some parents go to schools to abuse and insult teachers who discipline their children or wards for wrong doing. She said teachers are not motivated or encouraged by the parents, government and the society. The young woman made it clear that such negative attitude towards teachers was causing good, experienced educators to flee the ship of teaching.
Researches have shown that a greater percentage of today’s teachers in the country, take up the job not because they have interest in teaching, rather they are there because they could not secure better jobs. Every smart graduate, even those that studied education wants to be a banker, a politician, an oil company staff and others, abandoning the classrooms to the “unsharp, unsmart and unconnected ones.” No parents want his or her child to be a teacher. Not even teachers themselves want to encourage their children or any other person to take up the teaching profession so as not to end up poor, wretched, not valued.
If these are not signs that teaching as a profession is in trouble in Nigeria then how can you describe it? This is a situation that should be of great concern to anybody who means well for the country, especially our leaders. Yes, World Teachers Day should be a period to celebrate and appreciate those who have kept the teaching profession alive in the country. But it should also provide our leaders, parents, stakeholders in the education sector and indeed entire Nigerians an opportunity to ponder on the future of the teaching profession and education entirely.
If education is truly the bedrock of any society, then it stands to reason that the welfare of those who run the sector should be of top priority. Teachers should be motivated, compensated, empowered to perform their jobs. Training and re-training of teachers should no longer be toyed with while at the same time, government at all levels should invest adequately and properly in the education sector.
Most importantly, one thinks that going forward, only those who are genuinely interested in teaching should be employed and trained as teachers. Making the teaching profession a dumping ground for all frustrated graduates will only help in destroying the education sector the more.
It is also advisable that teachers should see their profession as a noble one and be proud of it. This year’s celebration should cause the leaders of Nigeria Union of Teacher (NUT) at both federal, State and Local Government levels to re-assess and rededicate themselves to their chosen profession by discharging their duties with renewed vigour and great sense of responsibility.
We need more dedicated, committed, passionate, smart teachers, especially in our public schools, not teachers who collect salaries even when they do not carry out their responsibilities to their pupils, students, the state and the nation. We no longer need teachers who sell all kinds of wares in the school premises, during school hours, abandoning their duties.
To save the teaching profession, both the teachers, government, parents and indeed every Nigerian has a role to play and the time to start is now.
From all indications, Nigeria possesses enough human and material resources to become a true economic powerhouse in Africa. According to the National Population Commission (NPC, 2023), the country’s population has grown steadily within the last decade, presently standing at about 220 million people—mostly young, vibrant, and innovative. Nigeria also remains the sixth-largest oil producer in the world, with enormous reserves of gas, fertile agricultural land, and human capital.
Yet, despite this enormous potential, the country continues to grapple with underdevelopment, poverty, unemployment, and insecurity. Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS, 2023) show that about 129 million Nigerians currently live below the poverty line. Most families can no longer afford basic necessities, even as the government continues to project a rosy economic picture.
The Subsidy Question
The removal of fuel subsidy in 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been one of the most controversial policy decisions in Nigeria’s recent history. According to the president, subsidy removal was designed to reduce fiscal burden, unify the foreign exchange rate, attract investment, curb inflation, and discourage excessive government borrowing.
While these objectives are theoretically sound, the reality for ordinary Nigerians has been severe hardship. Fuel prices more than tripled, transportation costs surged, and food inflation—already high—rose above 30% (NBS, 2023). The World Bank (2023) estimates that an additional 7.1 million Nigerians were pushed into poverty after subsidy removal.
A Critical Economic View
As an economist, I argue that the problem was not subsidy removal itself—which was inevitable—but the timing, sequencing, and structural gaps in Nigeria’s implementation.
- Structural Miscalculation
Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries remain nonfunctional. By removing subsidies without local refining capacity, the government exposed the economy to import-price pass-through effects—where global oil price shocks translate directly into domestic inflation. This was not just a timing issue but a fundamental policy miscalculation.
- Neglect of Social Safety Nets
Countries like Indonesia (2005) and Ghana (2005) removed subsidies successfully only after introducing cash transfers, transport vouchers, and food subsidies for the poor (World Bank, 2005). Nigeria, however, implemented removal abruptly, shifting the fiscal burden directly onto households without protection.
- Failure to Secure Food and Energy Alternatives
Fuel subsidy removal amplified existing weaknesses in agriculture and energy. Instead of sequencing reforms, government left Nigerians without refinery capacity, renewable energy alternatives, or mechanized agricultural productivity—all of which could have cushioned the shock.
Political and Public Concerns
Prominent leaders have echoed these concerns. Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, described the subsidy removal as “good but wrongly timed.” Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party also faulted the government’s hasty approach. Human rights activists like Obodoekwe Stive stressed that refineries should have been made functional first, to reduce the suffering of citizens.
This is not just political rhetoric—it reflects a widespread economic reality. When inflation climbs above 30%, when purchasing power collapses, and when households cannot meet basic needs, the promise of reform becomes overshadowed by social pain.
Broader Implications
The consequences of this policy are multidimensional:
- Inflationary Pressures – Food inflation above 30% has made nutrition unaffordable for many households.
- Rising Poverty – 7.1 million Nigerians have been newly pushed into poverty (World Bank, 2023).
- Middle-Class Erosion – Rising transport, rent, and healthcare costs are squeezing household incomes.
- Debt Concerns – Despite promises, government borrowing has continued, raising sustainability questions.
- Public Distrust – When government promises savings but citizens feel only pain, trust in leadership erodes.
In effect, subsidy removal without structural readiness has widened inequality and eroded social stability.
Missed Opportunities
Nigeria’s leaders had the chance to approach subsidy removal differently:
- Refinery Rehabilitation – Ensuring local refining to reduce exposure to global oil price shocks.
- Renewable Energy Investment – Diversifying energy through solar, hydro, and wind to reduce reliance on imported petroleum.
- Agricultural Productivity – Mechanization, irrigation, and smallholder financing could have boosted food supply and stabilized prices.
- Social Safety Nets – Conditional cash transfers, food vouchers, and transport subsidies could have protected the most vulnerable.
Instead, reform came abruptly, leaving citizens to absorb all the pain while waiting for theoretical long-term benefits.
Conclusion: Reform With a Human Face
Fuel subsidy removal was inevitable, but Nigeria’s approach has worsened hardship for millions. True reform must go beyond fiscal savings to protect citizens.
Economic policy is not judged only by its efficiency but by its humanity. A well-sequenced reform could have balanced fiscal responsibility with equity, ensuring that ordinary Nigerians were not crushed under the weight of sudden change.
Nigeria has the resources, population, and resilience to lead Africa’s economy. But leadership requires foresight. It requires policies that are inclusive, humane, and strategically sequenced.
Reform without equity is displacement of poverty, not development. If Nigeria truly seeks progress, its policies must wear a human face.
References
- National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). (2023). Poverty and Inequality Report. Abuja.
- National Population Commission (NPC). (2023). Population Estimates. Abuja.
- World Bank. (2023). Nigeria Development Update. Washington, DC.
- World Bank. (2005). Fuel Subsidy Reforms: Lessons from Indonesia and Ghana. Washington, DC.
- OPEC. (2023). Annual Statistical Bulletin. Vienna.
By: Amarachi Amaugo
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