A looming statewide industrial action by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) is now imminent in Kwara State, following the state government’s continued failure to meet demands concerning the welfare of teachers.
The NUT has condemned the government for what it describes as a long-standing neglect of the issues affecting educators across the state.
In a letter addressed to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, the NUT criticised the state’s refusal to implement the 27.5% Teachers Specific Allowance (TSA) and the National Harmonised Teachers Retirement Age Act, 2022.
The letter, dated November 13, 2025, was acknowledged by the Governor’s Office on November 17. It was signed by the NUT National President, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, and the Secretary-General, Dr Clinton Ikpitibo.
The union emphasised that despite several engagements with government officials between 2023 and 2025, no tangible progress had been made in resolving these critical issues.
The NUT expressed its disappointment that while the state government had approved improved salary structures for medical workers, nurses, and judiciary staff, teachers’ demands remained unmet.
The union further pointed out that the refusal to implement the 27.5% TSA for Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN)-certified teachers and 21% for non-TRCN-certified teachers had pushed teachers in the state “into a riotous mode.”
The NUT noted that frustration within the system had reached a boiling point, with teachers voicing concerns that the government’s inaction was eroding their morale.
Another key issue raised by the union was the state government’s failure to implement the National Harmonised Teachers Retirement Age Act, which extends the retirement age of teachers to 65 years or 40 years of service.
The NUT lamented that, despite over 25 states already complying with the law, Kwara State, under the leadership of the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, had yet to follow suit.
In the letter, the NUT called for an emergency meeting with the governor before December 13, 2025. The union stressed that there was still an opportunity for a peaceful resolution if the government acted promptly.
“We do hope that our interventionist approach is accepted, because to jaw-jaw will be better than to war-war,” the NUT stated.
The union sent copies of the letter to various state officials, including the Acting Head of Service, the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, the State Controller of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, and the Kwara chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the NUT.
With rising tension among teachers, the NUT has warned that failure to urgently address the issues could result in a fresh industrial action that may disrupt academic activities across the state.
The union’s ultimatum underscores the urgency of addressing the concerns of the state’s educators before the situation escalates further.
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