Kogi schools need 2,871 more teachers — ASUSS

The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) in Kogi State has called on Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to approve the recruitment of 2,871 additional teachers to address the growing shortage of teaching staff in secondary schools across the state.

ASUSS Chairman, Emejeh Ogwu, made the appeal during the 2025 World Teachers’ Day celebration in Lokoja, warning that the shortage of teachers was already undermining the quality of education and learning outcomes in the state.

Ogwu recalled that in the last round of recruitment, the state government engaged only 1,108 teachers, out of the 3,979 positions approved by the previous administration of Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

“We will never stop appreciating the recruitment of 1,108 teachers in 2023,” Ogwu said.

“However, at that time, public secondary schools were already short of 9,948 teachers, and the situation has worsened due to deaths, retirements, and teachers leaving for better opportunities elsewhere.”

He urged the state government to urgently address the staffing gap to prevent further decline in educational standards.

The ASUSS chairman also appealed to the federal government to take decisive steps to strengthen the naira, reduce inflation, and improve teachers’ purchasing power.

He said the 2025 World Teachers’ Day provided a moment to reflect on the support teachers need to fully utilize their potential and to chart a new course for the growth of the teaching profession.

Ogwu further called on the Kogi government to pay outstanding leave bonuses, harmonise pension payments for retired teachers, and extend ongoing infrastructural development projects to secondary schools.

He also proposed the introduction of a revolving motorcycle loan scheme to ease teachers’ mobility, especially in rural areas.

Despite the challenges, the ASUSS chairman commended the state government for its prompt payment of salaries and pensions, as well as the implementation of the minimum wage.

In his goodwill message, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour Matters, Onu Johnson-Edoka, expressed appreciation to secondary school teachers for their dedication and invaluable contributions to the state’s educational development.