Many teachers in Nigeria’s private schools continue to struggle with low pay, forcing some to seek additional sources of income or leave the profession entirely. Despite the national minimum wage being raised to N70,000 in 2024 for organisations with 25 employees and above, some private school teachers still earn as little as N20,000 to N35,000 monthly, well below legal standards.
Teachers are increasingly turning to side businesses or part-time work to survive. Mr. David Ogbebor, a private school teacher, revealed that he now combines teaching with a tailoring business because his salary “can hardly purchase a fraction of [his] needs.” Others sell biscuits, groundnuts, and sweets in classrooms or give extra lessons to supplement their incomes.
The low salaries, coupled with poor treatment by some school proprietors, have driven teachers away from the profession. Mrs. Lilian Osakpamwan, a former teacher, recounted long working hours without timely pay, harassment from school management, and the collapse of her love for teaching, prompting her to seek employment in a better-paying organisation.
Miss Judith Uweni, who left teaching to start a Point-of-Sale business, described her frustration when asked to provide a Bank Verification Number for tax deductions on her N30,000 salary. She noted that some schools pay teachers as little as N8,000 to N15,000 despite large student populations.
An anonymous corps member highlighted the extreme workload in understaffed schools, teaching students from JSS1 to SS3 alone. He noted that better salaries would encourage more people to enter and remain in teaching.
The ongoing low pay crisis underscores the challenges private school teachers face amid rising living costs, calling for urgent reforms to ensure fair compensation and preserve the teaching profession in Nigeria.
I believe teachers deserve better pay without having to resort to side hustles. Education is vital, they should be valued.
I believe teachers deserve fair pay for their hard work. Side hustles shouldnt be necessary to make ends meet. Lets support educators!
Isnt it crazy that teachers have to work extra jobs just to make ends meet? Soing needs to ce ASAP!
I dont get why private school teachers are expected to juggle multiple jobs just to make ends meet. Soings not right here.
I think teachers deserve better pay for their hard work! Lets all support fair wages for educators. #RespectTeachers
I think its unfair that teachers have to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet. They deserve better pay for their hard work.
I believe private school teachers deserve better pay for their hard work. Its time to prioritize education over profit margins.
I cant believe private school teachers have to take on side hustles! Wheres the respect and fair pay for educators?
I think its ridiculous that teachers have to take on side hustles just to make ends meet. Schools need to pay educators what they deserve!
Maybe if schools paid teachers more, they wouldnt have to work side hustles. Just a thought 🤷♂️ #PayTeachersFairly
I believe private school teachers deserve better pay for their hard work. Its unfair they have to rely on side hustles to make ends meet.
I think private school teachers deserve better pay for their dedication and hard work. Its time to prioritize education!