They claimed thousands of long-serving teachers who were screened and verified for regularisation in 2024 remain in limbo while fresh recruits reportedly resume duty.
Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and part-time teachers serving in Federal Unity Colleges across Nigeria have raised the alarm over what they described as an “ongoing job racketeering” within the Federal Ministry of Education.
They claimed thousands of long-serving teachers who were screened and verified for regularisation in 2024 remain in limbo while fresh recruits reportedly resume duty.
One of the sources familiar with the situation told SaharaReporters that verified PTA teachers have been abandoned without any official communication, despite completing federal verification exercises.
“There seem to be an ongoing job racketeering, especially in the ministry of education where some PTA teachers had been screened and verified since 2024. But they’ve not heard anything from the ministry or civil service commission,” the source said.
“However, day after day, people are coming for documentation and assumption of duty as newly employed. Yet these verified PTA staffers are being kept in the dark.”
According to the source, PTA teachers in Federal Unity Colleges have fulfilled all requirements for enlistment into the federal civil service but have received neither appointment letters nor updates on their status.
“PTA teachers in Federal Unity Colleges have been screened and verified since 2024 for enlistment and regularisation into the federal civil service. However, since then, appointment letters have not been given. In fact, there is no update as regards their status of employment,” the source said.
The development has reportedly triggered suspicion of sharp practices, particularly as newly recruited teachers continue to arrive in the same schools.
“But recently, newly employed Nigerians, who are fresh recruits, are coming to the colleges for documentation and assumption of duties. This situation has raised suspicion of sharp practices or racketeering,” the source added.
Many of the affected teachers are said to have spent over a decade teaching in federal schools under the PTA arrangement.
“And it’s unsettling that these PTA staffers, most of whom have been teachers for at least 10 years, some even 20 or 25 years, are still waiting,” the source said.
The source appealed for public attention to the situation, saying the teachers want their plight exposed.
In a separate public appeal titled “PTA/Part-Time Teachers of Federal Unity Schools Still Waiting: Months After Verification, Silence and Undignified Pay Continue,” a group of concerned education and human rights advocates stated that PTA and part-time teachers nationwide took part in a federal verification exercise in May 2025, which was intended to pave the way for their regularisation.
“In May last year, PTA/Part-time Teachers nationwide reportedly participated fully in an official federal verification exercise conducted toward regularisation. All required documents were submitted, and due process was followed in good faith by the affected teachers,” the group stated.
They lamented that “several months later, there has been no official communication, update, or publicly stated timeline regarding the outcome of this verification exercise.”
The advocates further noted that many of the teachers still earn extremely low wages despite the economic hardship in the country.
“Meanwhile, thousands of these teachers reportedly continue to teach and support students daily while earning ₦30,000 or less monthly, an amount that is widely acknowledged as no longer dignified nor sustainable given current economic realities.”
They stressed that many of the teachers have dedicated large portions of their lives to federal schools.
“It has also been brought to our attention that many of these teachers have served in Federal Unity Schools for five, ten, 15 years and even more, dedicating their productive years, personal resources, and professional lives to the education of Nigerian children,” the statement said.
The group warned that excluding long-serving teachers after verification would be deeply unjust.
“We therefore respectfully emphasise that any decisions taken should carry along all verified PTA/Part-time Teachers, rather than a selected few,” they said.
They also recalled a tragic incident during the verification process.
“We further note, with deep concern, that during the verification exercise, a tragic accident reportedly occurred involving PTA/Part-time Teachers travelling from their home schools to their designated verification state. In that incident, a Vice Principal who was officially designated to accompany the teachers reportedly lost his life.”
The advocates contrasted the delay with what they described as faster regularisation in other federal institutions.
“Additionally, it has been observed that PTA/Part-time Teachers in some other federal institutions, including those under security agencies such as the Air Force, were regularised last year without prolonged delays.”
They insist that their intervention was not an attack on any institution.
“This statement is not intended as a protest or an attack on any government institution. Rather, it is a respectful appeal for clarity, transparency, and humane consideration in a matter that affects livelihoods, morale, and the stability of the education system,” they said.
The group urged authorities to clarify “the current status of the PTA/Part-Time Teachers’ federal verification exercise,” “when verified teachers can reasonably expect official feedback or next steps,” and “whether any interim measures are being considered to address the issue of extremely low remuneration.”
They concluded: “We remain hopeful that timely communication and inclusive decision-making will help restore confidence and dignity among the affected teachers, in the interest of both educational quality and social justice.”