By Abdullahi Inuwa
Nigeria may need to recruit and train about 200,000 additional teachers to address the growing shortage of qualified educators across the country, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has said.
Abbas raised the alarm over the state of the nation’s education sector, stressing that the shortage of properly trained teachers remains one of the major challenges threatening the quality of learning in Nigerian schools.
According to the Speaker, addressing the manpower gap requires urgent and sustained investment in teacher recruitment, training and professional development.
He noted that the education system cannot deliver the desired results when classrooms are overcrowded and qualified teachers are insufficient to meet the needs of the growing population of school-age children.
Abbas therefore called for stronger collaboration among the Federal Government, state governments and other stakeholders to strengthen teacher education and improve conditions within the profession.
He emphasised that teachers remain central to the development of Nigeria’s human capital, warning that neglecting their training and welfare could have long-term consequences for the country’s educational standards.
The Speaker also stressed the importance of equipping teachers with modern skills to enable them to effectively respond to changing educational demands and technological developments.
He urged policymakers to treat teacher development as a national priority, arguing that investment in educators is ultimately an investment in Nigeria’s future.
The call comes amid continuing concerns over inadequate teaching personnel, infrastructure deficits and other challenges confronting schools across the country.
Abbas maintained that closing the estimated 200,000-teacher gap would be critical to improving access to quality education and ensuring that Nigerian children receive the skills needed to compete in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy.
Source@:AITOnline
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