“On this World Teachers’ Day, the Federal Government, through the HCD 2.0 Programme, reaffirms its commitment to strengthening the early childhood workforce”.
The Federal Coordinator of the Human Capital Development (HCD) Programme and the National Early Childhood Development (ECD) Focal Point, Dr. Ado Muhammad disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, marking the 2026 World Teachers’ Day.
According to Dr. Muhammad, this year’s global theme, “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures”, marked the 60th anniversary of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, the first international standard on teachers’ rights, training and working conditions.
He noted that the anniversary comes as teaching faces new pressures, including rapid shifts in digital technology, climate disruption, heavy workloads and persistent teacher shortages. “UNESCO estimates that the world needs 44 million additional teachers by 2030. The theme calls on policymakers and societies to improve teachers’ salaries, protect their professional autonomy and give them sustained support”, he said.
The National Early Childhood Development (ECD) Focal Point explained that Nigeria’s learning outcomes are shaped long before a child enters Primary One:
“When we talk about foundational learning, we are talking about the teacher in the pre-primary class, the caregiver in the crèche and the early childhood educator in the community learning centre. These are the professionals who shape the first 2,000 days of a child’s life. As we strive to make every Nigerian child ready by five, the training and welfare of the people who teach them is a priority”, he said.
Dr. Muhammad stated that Nigeria has about 92,000 public and private early childhood care, development and education (ECCDE) centres and the Federal Government recognises that the quality of learning in these settings depends directly on a workforce that is adequately trained, fairly remunerated, supported and supervised and fully committed to it.
“On this World Teachers’ Day, the Federal Government, through the HCD 2.0 Programme, reaffirms its commitment to strengthening the early childhood workforce”, he said.
The Federal Coordinator called on State governments to recruit, train, supervise and pay the early childhood workforce at fair and competitive salaries, to protect their professional autonomy and manageable workloads, and to appropriate a dedicated, coded budget line for early childhood development.
He also urged the State Universal Basic Education Boards to close teacher shortages in the pre-primary year and to provide continuous professional development, including digital skills and preparedness for climate-related disruption to learning.
Furthermore, Local governments and Ward Development Committees were urged to recognise early childhood educators as members of the ward early years team.
Private providers were also tasked to commit to national quality and workforce standards.
In addition, he tasked Development partners, the private sector and communities to align their support behind one results framework for the early years.
“Sixty years after the world agreed on what teachers are owed, our task in Nigeria is to extend that promise to the teachers of our youngest children. Standing with teachers means standing with the child”, Dr. Muhammad said.
He therefore commended all teachers across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, especially those working in early childhood settings, for their dedication and commitment in laying a solid foundation for Nigeria’s human capital.
