By Adamu Abdullahi
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), one of the fastest-growing regions in Africa, is home to about three million people, including hundreds of thousands of primary and secondary school–age children. The FCT, the largest capital territory in Nigeria by landmass, has 559 primary schools (including nomadic schools), 159 junior secondary schools, and over 70 public senior secondary schools managed by the FCT Education Secretariat. Altogether, the FCT has hundreds of public schools across basic and secondary levels, with the number increasing as new schools are built. About 89 percent of these schools are located in rural areas. Unfortunately, many of them are part of an education system suffering from years of neglect and inadequate investment.
Over the past decade, insufficient funding has resulted in dilapidated classrooms, overstretched and demotivated teachers, and rising student dropout rates. The number of teachers who have left the profession in the FCT is alarming. As of late 2024 and early 2025, nearly 194,876 primary school teachers had exited the system nationwide, contributing to a 28 percent deficit. The teacher–student ratio, ideally 1:53, is as high as 1:175 in some schools.
Low remuneration has pushed many teachers into side businesses, contributing to widespread absenteeism. Meanwhile, classrooms in many schools lack even basic learning facilities such as chairs, desks, pencils, books, blackboards, and chalk. Some schools also lack sanitation facilities, science laboratories, and security infrastructure.
Teachers are leaving at unprecedented rates, driven by low pay, overwhelming workload, lack of support from administrators and parents, constant stress, and burnout. Many pursue better-paying or less demanding careers, even though they once embraced teaching with passion and purpose.
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A troubling reality has emerged across Nigerian schools: passionate, qualified, and experienced teachers are abandoning a profession they deeply love. They are not leaving because they no longer value teaching; they are leaving because the system has made it almost impossible to thrive.
When a teacher leaves the classroom, it is not because they hate teaching, but because the system has failed to support them. This reflects the lived experience of many FCT teachers. From neglected welfare and unpaid arrears to poor working conditions and local officials who treat teachers as disposable rather than as nation-builders, the burden is overwhelming.
Passion may ignite the flame, but without fuel—fair pay, respect, and opportunities for professional growth—even the brightest fire will eventually burn out. This is the condition of the teaching profession today. Only a few truly committed teachers remain in the system, and if nothing changes, they too may eventually leave.
A nation that undervalues its teachers unknowingly destroys its own future. Sadly, Nigeria is gradually walking this dangerous path.
