The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has urged the Federal Government and state governments to fully and promptly implement the 2026 renegotiated agreement.
The union said special attention should go to the provisions on lecturers’ allowances, welfare and career progression.
COEASU also called for proper funding, staffing, facilities and clear academic guidelines for the dual mandate policy. The policy allows eligible colleges of education to run both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and approved degree programmes.
The National President, Dr Ahmed Lawan Waziri, made the call on Wednesday at the union’s 2026 Teachers’ Day celebration at the Ukeje Hall, National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) headquarters, Abuja.
He said the agreement will only matter when its provisions lead to real improvements in lecturers’ working conditions.
“The value of an agreement is realised when its provisions improve the working lives of those it covers,” he said.
Waziri urged the authorities to include the agreed allowances in lecturers’ monthly pay and to implement the seven-rung academic career structure.
He thanked President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, for their roles in the renegotiation.
He also appealed to state governments and the management of state-owned colleges of education to give the agreement the attention it deserves. According to him, lecturers in those institutions play an equally important role in training teachers.
The event was held after the official World Teachers’ Day on October 5. Its theme was “Standing with Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing Its Status and Shaping Our Futures.”
Representing Alausa, the Executive Secretary of the NCCE, Dr Angela Ajala, said the Federal Government is pushing reforms to produce qualified and competent teachers.
She said digital technology, artificial intelligence, inclusive education and new social challenges are changing classrooms, which makes continuous professional development more important.
According to her, the government is also working on an accelerated pathway to professional certification and licensing for eligible non-professional teachers who are already teaching.
“The duty is clear. A teacher must never be left behind by the very changes he or she seeks to teach,” she said.
Ajala explained that the dual mandate policy is meant to widen access to quality teacher education, subject to the required accreditation.
She also spoke on the scholarships awarded to outstanding NCE students from the six geopolitical zones, describing them as an investment in the future of teaching.
The event featured the unveiling of the first edition of COEASU’s academic journal. Ajala urged the union to keep the publication going and make it a credible platform for research that can shape reforms in teacher education.
Waziri congratulated the scholarship recipients and the lecturers, families and institutions that supported them.
He also announced service awards. Dr Emmanuel Asagha, Hon. Justice Mohammed Suliamon Ambursa and Dr Gani Azeez were to receive Distinguished Service Awards, while Dr Ali Adamu was to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.
World Teachers’ Day is marked every October 5. The 2026 edition marks 60 years since the 1966 ILO and UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.
Digital Operations Manager at The Students Forum Nigeria.
