Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Nigeria Union of Teachers, Oyo State Wing, on Monday dedicated the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration to the schoolchildren and teachers abducted during a coordinated attack in Oriire Local Government Area of the state on May 15, 2026, describing the victims as heroes and heroines of the education struggle and pledging to support the families of slain teachers while identifying with affected learners.
The state NUT Chairman, Hassan Fatai, made the declaration during the celebration held at the Islamic High School Multipurpose Hall, Orita Basorun, in Ibadan North Local Government Area, according to a statement issued by the state Secretary, Salami Olukayode. The event, themed “Standing With Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing its Status and Shaping our Futures,” brought together teachers, education administrators, government officials, labour leaders and other stakeholders. Fatai said the celebration was being held with mixed feelings because of the sacrifices made by teachers and learners affected by the May 15 attack. “We are celebrating our teachers today, but we are doing so with mixed feelings because of the unfortunate incident in Oriire. Those affected by the attack are heroes and heroines of the teachers and education struggle in Oyo State,” he said.
More than 40 pupils and their teachers were abducted at Baptist Nursery and Primary School, L.A. Primary School, Yawota, and Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esienle, on May 15, 2026, when armed men invaded the schools. Seven teachers and 39 pupils were kidnapped, and two teachers were killed during the attack and in captivity. The victims were rescued by joint security operatives on June 10, 2026, after 56 days in captivity. The incident triggered a nationwide outcry, with the NUT ordering an indefinite withdrawal of services by public primary and secondary school teachers in Oyo State from June 1, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all abducted teachers and learners. The union also staged solidarity rallies across the country, including in Abuja, where the National President, Titus Amba, described the attack on teachers as an attack on education and the future of Nigeria. “The safety of teachers and learners must never be treated with levity. We stand with one voice to insist that an attack on teachers is an attack on education, and an attack on education is an attack on the future of Nigeria,” Amba had said.
Fatai said the union would honour the surviving victims with its Heroes and Heroines Award, support the families of slain teachers and identify with the affected learners. He commended Governor Seyi Makinde, Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal, Commissioner for Education Segun Olayiwola, the Chairperson of the Teaching Service Commission, Olubukola Oladipo, and the Special Adviser on Education Intervention, Suraj Tiamiyu, for their roles in the rescue and survival efforts. He also praised the state government’s support for teachers while urging it to sustain improved welfare and working conditions.
The NUT chairman used the occasion to present fresh demands on behalf of teachers, calling for the full implementation of the Safe School Programme, the integration of 135 teachers into the TESCOM employment structure, approval of inter-local government transfers for teachers appointed in 2005, administrative flexibility on conversion and career progression, prompt release of grants to school heads and payment of outstanding 2025 leave allowances. He urged teachers to embrace artificial intelligence and other technological developments, saying, “Protecting, respecting, rewarding, empowering and investing in teachers remain essential to strengthening education and securing the future of Oyo and Nigeria.”
The Executive Chairman of the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr Nureni Aderemi Adeniran, said education could not be transformed without teachers, stressing that their status, competence and welfare remained central to the future of education. He noted that the 2026 celebration marked 60 years of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, describing the milestone as an opportunity to renew commitment to the teaching profession. “Standing with teachers must go beyond ceremonial appreciation. It must include professional development, decent working conditions, teaching and learning resources, career progression, mentoring and continuous capacity building,” he said. He disclosed that the state government had paid outstanding leave allowances inherited from previous administrations, maintained regular payment of teachers’ salaries, abolished the six-year waiting period for teachers and approved the upgrading of teachers on Grade Levels above GL 14. He commended Governor Makinde for what he described as his commitment to teachers’ welfare, adding that Oyo SUBEB would continue to collaborate with relevant authorities to improve teacher quality and strengthen basic education across the state.
The celebration came as the Oyo State Government declared Monday, October 5, 2026, a work-free day for teachers across the state to mark World Teachers’ Day and NUT Day. The declaration was announced in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, who noted that the day was set aside to recognise the invaluable contributions of teachers to the development of the state and the nation. He acknowledged the sacrifices teachers make in shaping future generations, often under challenging circumstances. He also highlighted the administration’s investments in education, including the recruitment of 5,000 teachers in 2021, the renovation of 209 public primary schools and the recent distribution of motorcycles and notebooks to support school support officers and learners. “The administration will not waver in its commitment to the welfare and professional development of teachers in the state,” he said.
The political context of the event is significant. The 2027 general elections are less than four months away, and education has emerged as a central issue in the campaign. The NUT’s decision to dedicate the 2026 celebration to the Oriire victims reflects the union’s determination to keep the memory of the attack alive and to hold the government accountable for the safety of schools and the welfare of teachers. For the families of the slain teachers, the dedication and the promise of support represent a measure of recognition for their loss. For the survivors and the learners who spent 56 days in captivity, the Heroes and Heroines Award is an acknowledgement of their resilience. For the teachers of Oyo State, the celebration was both a moment of reflection on the sacrifices of their colleagues and a platform to press home their demands for better working conditions, timely payment of allowances and full implementation of the Safe School Programme. As Fatai put it, protecting, respecting, rewarding, empowering and investing in teachers remain essential to strengthening education and securing the future of Oyo and Nigeria.
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