Rebuilding Teaching in Nigeria: LRF Dialogue Calls for Urgent Education Reform

Reimagining Education: Why Nigeria Must Rebuild the Teaching Profession from the Ground Up

The Literary Renaissance Foundation (LRF) hosted the 11th edition of its Reading Culture Dialogue on 12 July 2025, convening educators, civic thinkers, alumni advocates, and policymakers from across Nigeria. Themed “Improving the Curriculum Value Chain: How Can We Reposition the Teaching Profession to Attract and Retain Nigeria’s Top Talents?”, the gathering turned into a revealing portrait of an education system struggling to survive its own contradictions.

Held as part of LRF’s civic mission to drive national literacy, educational renewal, and policy reform, the Dialogue did more than surface problems. It laid bare the emotional weight of teaching in Nigeria today — a profession underpaid, undervalued, and often over-exploited. For many in the room, the real question was not why the system is broken, but whether Nigeria is ready to fix it.

The Human Face of an Institutional Crisis

Across several hours of deliberation, participants described the day-to-day reality of being a teacher in Nigeria. Wale Olaisade, the MD of Xpress Payments Ltd, a Lagos-based fintech, spoke of outdated curricula and limited access to practical training, while Amos Akande, a civil servant, cited poor remuneration and unmerited appointments as key reasons for demoralisation in the sector. For Deji Aliu, an energy expert, the problem was deeper: teaching, once seen as a noble path, had been reduced to a career of last resort.

There were testimonies of near exits. Several contributors admitted they would leave teaching for better-paying jobs in other sectors if given the opportunity. Passion, they agreed, was no longer enough. Without systemic reform, Nigeria is at risk of losing some of its best educators to other industries — or other countries.

When Policy and Reality Diverge

Participants underscored the disconnect between policy frameworks and lived experience. The government’s free education policies were contrasted with examples from places like Finland, where free education still guarantees quality. Dagga Tolar, a veteran teacher and social activist, drew attention to how historical wage parity had collapsed. In 1981, a teacher earned 125 Naira, equivalent to $421. Today, Nigeria’s minimum wage barely translates to $46.

Dagga also linked the deterioration of the education sector to international economic forces. IMF and World Bank-imposed reforms, he argued, led Nigeria to treat education as a non-investment item. These legacies continue to haunt national budgeting, even as global economies reinvest in foundational learning.

Rebuilding Teaching as a Viable Career Path

The Dialogue didn’t end with critique. It ended with purpose. Participants proposed a comprehensive repositioning of the teaching profession in Nigeria. Recommendations included developing a competitive and structured salary system, enforcing merit-based entry into teacher training institutions, and improving teacher benefits beyond just basic pay.

There was also a call to revise teacher training curricula to meet global benchmarks. Participants advocated for international exchange programmes, increased funding for continuous professional development, and reforms in the teaching practice framework to make it more experiential and less theoretical.

A recurring theme was the power of perception. The image of teaching must change — and that change must be intentional. Several speakers proposed a national campaign to restore pride in the profession, engaging media houses, storytellers, content creators, and the National Orientation Agency to help shift societal attitudes.

From Talk to Transformation

The meeting concluded with a plan of action. LRF will compile the resolutions into a formal communiqué to be submitted to the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Council on Education, and both the Senate and House Committees on Education. The recorded session will be uploaded to LRF’s YouTube channel to ensure wider access and visibility.

There were also suggestions for alumni networks to play a more structured role in supporting their former schools through funding, mentorship, and advocacy. As Halimah put it, volunteerism and personal development are good, but they are no substitute for policy alignment and political will.

The next edition of the Reading Culture Dialogue is scheduled for October 2025, and it will focus on a critical theme: Financing Teacher Reform and Measuring Implementation.

Reasons for This

If Nigeria fails to fix the teaching profession, it fails its future. Teachers are not just conveyors of knowledge; they are builders of national character and shapers of economic potential. When their value is ignored, their morale erodes. When their voices are silenced, classrooms suffer.

LRF believes that it is not too late — but time is running out. The conversation must shift from short-term fixes to structural transformation. The question is no longer whether reform is needed. The question is whether Nigeria is willing to prioritise the people at the heart of its education system.