Nigerian teachers off work for months

This left more than 50,000 students unable to attend class.

Teachers in Abuja, Nigeria, have been on a months-long strike over their salaries, forcing hundreds of schools to close due to a lack of staff. The dispute is due to the government's delay in raising the new minimum wage.

Specifically, President Bola Tinubu signed a law increasing the minimum wage to 70,000 naira from July 2024 to reduce the impact of inflation following sweeping economic reforms. However, nearly a year later, many localities, including Abuja, have yet to apply this salary to teachers.

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Abuja said it would not end its strike until the government fully implemented the minimum wage and unpaid salaries and benefits. “We have conducted two warning strikes and now the third. Despite many promises, the government has not done anything concrete,” said union leader Abdullahi Mohammed Shafas.

Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, said the ministry had approved the new salaries but blamed local councils for not making the payments.

The impasse is not only affecting teachers, but also having a profound impact on the lives of students and their families. Elisha Goni, a primary school teacher in the Garki area, said he can barely cover his living expenses on his current salary.

“I live 50 kilometers away from my workplace to save on rent. But I can’t teach on an empty stomach,” said Elisha.

For students like Blessing, 10, teachers’ absences mean interrupted learning. Instead of studying for the entrance exam, Blessing helps her mother grind chili peppers at a roadside shop. Her mother is considering transferring her to a private school “even though the quality is not good,” just so her child doesn’t have to stay home too long.

The strike is another blow to Nigeria’s already fragile education system. The prolonged disruption to students’ education not only affects their knowledge but also has many social consequences: increased child labor, loss of motivation to learn, and the risk of children dropping out of school altogether.

As Nigeria faces its most severe cost of living crisis in decades, an early resolution of the pay dispute between teachers and local governments is not only an urgent need for education recovery but also a matter of social justice.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/giao-vien-nigeria-nghi-day-trong-nhieu-thang-post738473.html