World Teachers’ Day: Adewole Adebayo Salutes Nigerian Teachers’ Resilience, Creativity

World Teachers’ Day: Adewole Adebayo Salutes Nigerian Teachers’ Resilience, Creativity

By Our Reporter

The Adewole Adebayo-Bugaje Presidential Campaign proudly joins the global community today, October 5, 2026, to celebrate Nigerian teachers on the occasion of this year's World Teachers' Day, describing them as "the irreplaceable pillars of our nation."

In a special commemorative statement issued by the Adebayo-Bugaje Presidential Campaign, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, extended his warmest salutations to Nigerian teachers, praising their unmatched resilience, unyielding creativity, and enduring commitment to shaping the destiny of the country.

Reflecting on the rich history of the profession in Nigeria, Prince Adebayo recalled the foundational struggles of the nation's educators, noting that 95 years ago, in July 1931, visionary teachers came together to form the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) as "iconic youth leader and educationist,  Alvan Ikoku, and other pioneer nationalists unified various regional teachers' associations into a singular, formidable voice."

According to the SDP Presidential Candidate, NUT was forged not merely as a trade union, but as a vanguard for national development, standardizing education, and defending the dignity of the Nigerian teacher against colonial neglect, adding: "Today, we look back at that history and realize that the spirit of 1931 is still very much alive in our classrooms."

"Despite working under extremely difficult conditions, facing decades of systemic neglect, dilapidated classrooms, lack of modern teaching aids, and delayed entitlements, Nigerian teachers have consistently given an excellent account of themselves," he added further.

The campaign council emphasized that the success story of Nigeria is, at its core, the success story of its teachers, further noting that Nigerian educators had been directly responsible for discovering, nurturing, and molding many of the greatest Nigerians who had excelled globally across all sectors.

"From trailblazing pioneers in the sciences and innovation to captains of industry in business, brilliant minds in the professions, gallant officers in the military, and visionary leaders in politics, every single national achievement traces its roots back to the patience and creativity of a teacher," Prince Adebayo stated..

Looking toward the future, the SDP standard bearer lamented that the teaching profession had been unfairly reduced to a calling of sacrifice without reward and, therefore, promised a radical departure from the status quo under his upcoming administration.

"We cannot expect a 21st-century educational miracle from 19th-century infrastructure and demoralized personnel," Adebayo argued. 

"The Adewole Adebayo-Bugaje administration pledges to make teaching one of the most attractive professions in Nigeria. We will execute bold, revolutionary policies to overhaul the Nigerian educational system completely," he said, pointing out that the campaign’s blueprint for education focuses on a three-pronged revolution.

According to him, Super-Adequate Remuneration will be about restructuring salary scales, allowances, and pensions to ensure teachers are paid premium wages that reflect their vital importance to national security and development, saying that Adequate and Modern Infrastructure will involve transforming classrooms into tech-driven hubs of innovation, ensuring clean environments, digital tools, and well-equipped laboratories.

Adebayo said that the last will be about ensuring Absolute Institutional Respect, aimed at restoring the societal prestige, professional autonomy, and dignity of educators across all tiers - from primary and secondary schools to tertiary institutions.

Prince Adebayo concluded with a message of hope, assuring that help is on the way to the nation's primary school teachers laying the foundation, the secondary school teachers guiding the nation's youth, and university lecturers steering research, adding: "We see you, we value you," even as he wished them Happy World Teachers' Day.

"To our primary school teachers laying the foundation, our secondary school teachers guiding our youth, and our university lecturers steering research -  we see you, we value you, and help is on the way. Happy World Teachers' Day," he concluded.