Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Teachers across Ogun State have made a collective and emphatic call for the abolition of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), demanding either a complete return to the old pension system or a comprehensive resolution of all challenges associated with the current arrangement to guarantee prompt and adequate retirement benefits. The demand was presented during an interactive session with the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, at the Ake Palace Ground in Abeokuta on Monday, August 3, 2026.
The teachers, drawn from various education unions and professional associations across the state, presented a comprehensive charter of demands that went beyond pension reform. The charter included the full implementation of the National Minimum Wage, the Teachers' Peculiar Salary Structure (TPSS), regular promotion exercises, payment of leave allowance arrears from 2015 to 2018, an upward review of transport allowance from N10,000 to N50,000, an increase in rural posting allowance to N30,000, and the implementation of a "One Teacher, One Laptop" initiative. Other demands included functional health insurance, affordable housing schemes, improved school infrastructure, enhanced security in public schools, provision of a union bus, and support for this year's World Teachers' Day celebration.
Speaking on behalf of secondary school principals, the President of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Ogun State chapter, Evangelist Alaba Olugbenle, described the gathering as "a dream come true," saying the widespread support enjoyed by Senator Adeola reflected the confidence reposed in his leadership across the state. He commended Adeola's interventions in education, healthcare, infrastructure and economic empowerment, noting that his contributions had improved teaching and learning conditions in many public schools. Olugbenle highlighted the construction and renovation of school facilities, provision of libraries, furniture, textbooks, notebooks, school bags and other instructional materials, as well as the distribution of laptops to teachers and students to promote digital learning. He also praised the senator for paying the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fees for over 2,000 indigent students at a cost exceeding N80 million, an intervention that, according to him, prevented many brilliant students from dropping out due to financial constraints.
Presenting the collective position of teachers, the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Felix Agbesanwa, expressed appreciation for Adeola's longstanding support for education but insisted that teachers' welfare must become the centrepiece of the next administration's education agenda. He said teachers were demanding either a complete return to the old pension scheme or a comprehensive resolution of all challenges associated with the Contributory Pension Scheme to guarantee prompt and adequate retirement benefits. Agbesanwa also called for the full implementation of the Teachers' Peculiar Salary Structure, including all outstanding components of the Special Teachers' Salary, and the immediate implementation of the approved National Minimum Wage. According to him, meeting the requests would significantly boost teachers' morale, improve productivity and ultimately enhance the quality of education across Ogun State. "The next phase of educational development must focus squarely on teachers' welfare because motivated teachers produce better learning outcomes," Agbesanwa said.
Responding to the demands, Senator Adeola assured the teachers that their welfare would be a major priority of his administration if elected governor, promising to review the contentious Contributory Pension Scheme and implement policies aimed at repositioning the education sector. "I am not going to abandon Ogun State teachers. I have listened to all that has been said and all the complaints. I can only do better and move forward," Adeola said. On the controversial pension scheme, the lawmaker assured teachers that his administration would objectively review the policy. "We are going to look at the Contributory Pension Scheme and examine all available options. If abolishing it is the best option available, we will go by it," he declared.
Adeola also promised to domesticate the enhanced retirement age for teachers already approved by the Federal Government, recruit more qualified teachers into public schools to address manpower shortages, clear outstanding entitlements owed teachers and strengthen teachers' cooperative societies to improve access to short-term loans. He further pledged to improve infrastructure and provide essential amenities in rural schools to create a more conducive teaching and learning environment. The APC governorship aspirant also announced plans to establish a Teachers' Advisory Council in the Governor's Office to serve as a platform for continuous engagement on policies affecting teachers and the education sector. He added that reducing the Ogun Teach internship period from two years to one year would form part of his administration's priorities, in response to appeals made by participants at the meeting.
Describing teachers as the bedrock of national development, Adeola said no society could achieve meaningful progress without investing in the welfare, motivation and professional development of its teachers. The senator recalled that his support for teachers and education predates his governorship ambition, noting that he had consistently supported World Teachers' Day celebrations and educational development initiatives across Ogun State for nearly a decade. He listed his interventions over the past three and a half years to include the construction of 128 blocks of 12-classroom buildings with 56 staff rooms and four ultra modern libraries, provision of furniture and more than 300,000 textbooks, establishment of 13 Information and Communication Technology centres and eight skills acquisition centres, training of thousands of teachers and students in digital skills, as well as the distribution of 12,250 laptops to teachers, students and medical personnel. Adeola also highlighted the facilitation of over 12,000 scholarships and bursaries for Ogun students, donation of 102 campus shuttle buses to tertiary institutions, sponsorship of legislation upgrading the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, to the Federal University of Technology, Ilaro, payment of the 2026 WASSCE fees for 2,137 indigent students and sponsorship of other educational development initiatives.
The teachers' demands come amid a broader national conversation about the Contributory Pension Scheme, which has faced criticism from workers and retirees across Nigeria for its implementation challenges, including delayed payments, unremitted deductions, and inadequate retirement benefits. In Ogun State, the CPS has been a recurring source of industrial tension, with the state government introducing an Additional Pension Benefit (APB) scheme in February 2026 to address some of the concerns raised by retirees and workers. However, the teachers' demand for the outright abolition of the CPS or a comprehensive resolution of its challenges underscores the depth of dissatisfaction with the current system and signals a key campaign issue ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Ogun State.
As Senator Adeola continues his consultations with various stakeholders, his response to the teachers' charter of demands will be closely watched by the education community and the broader electorate, who are increasingly looking for candidates willing to prioritize the welfare of those who shape the next generation.
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