Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has used World Teachers' Day to praise Nigerian teachers while sharply criticising the economic hardship that is undermining their livelihoods, issuing a statement on October 5, 2026, that also took direct aim at President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku's Tribute to Teachers and Economic Critique
In a statement released through Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku, who is the ADC's presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, recalled the teachers from his childhood in Jada who shaped his future. He said his own education gave him a personal debt to the profession.
"I still remember the names and faces of my early teachers in Jada, who saw potential in a young orphan when few others did. They taught me arithmetic and grammar, but they also gave me a future," Atiku said.
Atiku, who founded the American University of Nigeria, described the daily reality facing many teachers as deeply troubling, pointing to cases of teachers walking long distances because transport costs eat into their salaries, and borrowing food on credit before going to stand in front of a class. "No nation can rise above the level of its teachers. I will honour them not only with words, but with policies that improve their welfare and make life more affordable," he said.
Direct Attack on President Tinubu
The statement included a pointed attack on President Bola Tinubu, with Atiku questioning whether the president could recall a single teacher from his past. "It is both revealing and deeply embarrassing that Bola Tinubu cannot name a single teacher who stood before him or a classmate who sat beside him," Atiku said, arguing that a leader disconnected from those who educated him could not genuinely champion their welfare.
He went further, saying commemorative messages issued once a year could not substitute for concrete action. "Government cannot praise teachers on this day and leave them to face hardship for the rest of the year. A commemorative message cannot pay a teacher's bills," he said.
Atiku added that he was apologising to teachers "on behalf of a leadership that has failed to make their welfare a priority."
Pledges on Cost of Living
Atiku used the occasion to restate his economic commitments, pledging to pursue policies that bring down the cost of food, transport, rent and electricity. "Teachers and families should not have to watch their incomes disappear on food, transport, rent and electricity. We will pursue policies that bring down the cost of living, support decent jobs and ensure that hard work can provide a dignified life," he said.
He closed by urging Nigeria to back its annual praise for teachers with genuine, lasting support, describing them as "builders of confidence, knowledge and opportunity" whose contributions the country could not afford to ignore.
