The Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, on Monday said it observed that the new professional salary structure for teachers was not included in the 2024 budget.
The union noted that while it would continue to push for the implementation, it would also call for the removal of the “ceiling” where primary school teachers in the country are not allowed to progress beyond Grade Level 14 in the civil service.
The National President of the NUT, Titus Amba, made this known during the 2024 solemn assembly of the NUT which took place at the union’s secretariat in Abuja.
The restructured teachers’ professional salary structure was introduced under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and was expected to have been implemented from January 2023.
Speaking on Monday, Amba further noted that the union was seeking constitutional amendment on the funding of primary and secondary education to combat the irregular payment of salaries of teachers in the country.
He said, “Constitutional amendment on the funding of primary and secondary education should be placed on first line charge in the revenue allocation in the country.
“We believe that when enacted into law, it will go a long way to address the issue of irregular salary payment of teachers across the states.
“The Teachers’ Professional Salary Structure that is supposed to have been implemented in 2023 has not been accommodated in the budget, as such, we will continue to push for its implementation.”
Buhari in October 2020, approved a special salary scale and a new retirement age for teachers.
Meanwhile, about a year later, the then Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, said teachers would begin to enjoy the new salary structure promised by the Buhari-led administration from January 2022.
Speaking further on the decision of the Federal Government to stop the funding of certain revenue-generating agencies such as the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Amba said the union has met with the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman and other relevant stakeholders on the issue.
“Our resolve is that the issue will get to its logical resolution for the benefit of the teachers of Nigeria in the soonest future.
“The union will amongst other things move for the removal of ceiling where primary school teachers cannot progress beyond grade level,” he said.
In June 2023, the House of Representatives said the low remuneration of teachers encouraged them to migrate from one place to another.
