Nigeria’s Education Crisis: Severe Teacher Shortage Threatens the Future
Nigeria’s education sector is in a deep crisis, grappling with a severe shortage of teachers that is crippling learning across the country. The numbers paint a troubling picture. According to the Universal Basic Education Commission, public primary schools face a deficit of nearly 195,000 teachers. This shortfall is worsened by the continued exodus of qualified teachers who are leaving the profession due to poor working conditions, low salaries, and lack of incentives.
The impact of this crisis is most evident in classrooms, particularly in rural areas, where some schools operate with as few as one or two teachers. The student-teacher ratio is alarmingly high, with some schools struggling to educate as many as 124 students per teacher. The consequences of this are devastating, leading to what experts have described as “learning poverty”, where students are unable to receive the quality education they deserve.
Despite the urgent need for more teachers, 16 states failed to recruit any teachers between 2018 and 2022, further deepening the crisis. Many retired teachers have not been replaced, leaving schools with dwindling manpower. Instead of addressing the shortage by hiring qualified educators, some states resort to recruiting unqualified teachers or relying on Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) teachers, who are poorly paid and lack job security.
To make matters worse, while education suffers, much-needed funding remains unutilized. As of November 2024, 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory had not paid the matching grant of ₦264 billion required to access the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) intervention fund. Instead of prioritizing education, many state governments continue to invest in expensive, unnecessary projects, such as building new airports, while classrooms remain understaffed and under-resourced.
Addressing this crisis requires immediate and comprehensive action. Nigeria must prioritize teacher recruitment, training, and retention by offering scholarships, professional development programs, and better incentives for teachers. Salaries, benefits, and working conditions must be improved to attract and retain skilled educators. Additionally, the government must convert PTA teachers into permanent staff and explore technology-based learning solutions to supplement traditional teaching methods.
