By Rafiyat Sadiq
The Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has uncovered 245 teachers who have been collecting salaries despite abandoning their jobs.
The SUBEB chairperson, Haruna Musa, told reporters that one of the affected teachers had been away from school for 14 years but still received monthly pay.
Mr Musa described the situation as “unfortunate” and vowed to recover all the money paid to the absentee teachers.
“Some have been away for seven to ten years. One has not taught for 14 years yet collects a salary every month. We cannot forgive this,” he said.
Some Return, Others Still Missing
Out of the 245 teachers, 162 have returned to the classroom. Others are working in different places while still receiving salaries from the state government.
Mr Musa said some absentees even hired unqualified substitutes to teach for them, paying as low as ₦20,000 while keeping salaries of over ₦100,000.
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One case involved a teacher earning ₦236,000 but hiring someone else to teach for ₦20,000.
He said the government’s priority is to get the teachers back in school rather than sacking them.
Competency Test for 10,000 Teachers
Mr Musa also announced that 10,000 teachers in the state will undergo a competency test to determine their skills and training needs.
The test will assess their knowledge of the curriculum and help identify those needing further training.
Teachers will be grouped into three categories to include competent, skilled but lacking teaching techniques, and unskilled. Those in the last category will undergo a special training programme at state colleges of education.
Mr Musa said no teacher would be sacked or demoted because of the test.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers recently said the state needs 32,000 more classroom teachers to meet demand, with only 1,700 recruited between 2015 and 2023 despite rising enrolment.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
