As the countdown to let there be teachers conference 2026 begins in few months, Stakeholders in the education sector have renewed calls to place teachers at the centre of national development, insisting that reform cannot succeed without sustained investment in teachers’ welfare, motivation, and professional growth.
During a media chats with some selected journalists in Abuja on Friday on the themed ‘From Record to Reform: A National HOPE Attempt for Teachers.’_ The conference, supported by the Federal Ministry of Education, drew government officials, development partners, and educators.
The Convener Oluwaseyi Anifowose explained that the movement seeks to move “beyond symbolic recognition” to long-term structural reforms for the teaching profession.
“We are in a space where a lot of people became teachers because they could not get the kind of job they wanted. But thankfully, some of us are here because we want to be teachers. We believe that once you can change one child, you are changing a generation,” Anifowose said.
Anifowose pointed out that Nigeria’s future is decided in classrooms, not just policy rooms. “Somewhere in Nigeria today, a teacher is standing in front of a class doing the best with what they have. No cameras, no applause, no recognition, just responsibility. That quiet moment, repeated across thousands of classrooms, is where in reality the future of this nation is being decided.”
He noted that the 2026 conference marks a shift from recognition to reform, following earlier engagements with government and lawmakers.
“We are not just announcing a conference. We are igniting a movement. A movement that will mobilise at least 200,000 teachers across Nigeria — 5,000 in every state and 20,000 in the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.
“Come October 2026, teachers across the nation will take the National Teachers’ Professional Pledge.”
The goal, he added, is to reposition teachers as “active drivers of educational transformation rather than passive beneficiaries of policy.”
*“Teacher Has Been Overlooked”*
Executive Director Sola Adeola said the programme aims to amplify teachers’ voices and tackle long-standing structural challenges.
“We are here because the Nigerian teacher has been overlooked for far too long, and that must change. We are here because education cannot rise above the quality, visibility, and dignity of its teachers,” Adeola said.
Project Director Rhoda Odigboh said the focus is on strengthening teacher agency and inclusion in reform conversations.
“For us, it is about the role that teachers play in really shaping our country… It was once said that no nation will rise above the quality of its teachers,” she said.
*FG: No System Rises Above Its Teachers*
Representing the Director, College of Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Deputy Director Iyabode Alli commended the initiative as aligned with national priorities.
“It is a timely intervention that speaks directly to the fundamental truth that no educational system can rise above the quality, motivation and revolution of its teachers,” Alli said.
She noted the initiative comes as stakeholders seek solutions to improve learning outcomes and strengthen systems, providing “an opportunity for reflection, collaboration and reform.”
The sector still battles low morale, inadequate welfare, and limited access to continuous professional development — issues that directly affect learning outcomes.
There is now growing consensus that reform must prioritise teachers, with increased focus on training, motivation, and improved working conditions to strengthen overall performance
