Teachers Deserve Better: When Proactivity Pays Elsewhere, WhyTthe Delay In Delta?
Across the federation, one lesson is becoming increasingly clear: governments that act proactively on education reforms save themselves needless industrial crises and earn lasting goodwill.
Niger State’s recent upward review of teachers’ retirement age to 65 years or 40 years of service and upgrade of both primary and secondary school teachers to Grade level 17 must be seen as typical example of forward-thinking leadership that deserves commendation .
The approval was given by Governor Mohammed Umar Bago on the 5th of October 2025 during the World Teachers’ Day celebration in Minna, Niger state.Subsequently, a letter conveying the approval was dated January 14 2026 and eventually signed on January 19 2026 by the Head of Service , Abubakar Sadiq idris
. The empathy shown to teachers by the Niger state governor , sends a strong message that teachers matter and that experience in the classroom is an asset, not liability.This development naturally invites comparison and reflection in Delta State.
There is no disputing the fact that Delta is financially solvent. By the Governor’s own account, the state has been paying back inherited loans, executing capital-intensive projects, constructing durable roads, flyover bridges,distributing SUV machines and financing budgets without resorting to fresh borrowing.
Indeed, His Excellency has even expressed confidence in funding the 2026 annual budget seamlessly,without borrowing a dime.These are no small feats; they are markers of prudent leadership and fiscal discipline.
Yet, in the midst of these achievements, a troubling contradiction persists.
University-graduate teachers in Delta’s primary schools have remained stagnated on grade level 14 for years; professionally stranded, promotion-starved, and structurally ignored. For a state that prides itself on capacity, competence and compassion, this is an anomaly that should no longer endure.
To be clear, this editorial does not indict the Governor.On the contrary, His Excellency has consistently projected the image of a teacher-friendly leader , one who believes in conviction, not excuses; in action, not endless talk.
His leadership philosophy is simple: “Talk na do.” When convinced, he acts and takes responsibility.
The problem, therefore, lies elsewhere.
For years, the system has been stifled by layers of administrative inertia and bureaucratic gatekeeping.
The Commissioners of Education, the SUBEB Chairman, and some local government education authorities have failed to break the logjam. Whether through policy timidity, lack of initiative, or comfort with the status quo, they have allowed a solvable problem to fester.
Even more puzzling is the culture of self-imposed helplessness among some senior civil servants. Too often, policy and “instrument” are waved as excuses for inaction. Yet, these same civil servants routinely find creative pathways when political interests or favoured projects are at stake.
When there is will, there is always a way.Why then has the Governor not been properly engaged on this critical teachers’ issue?One wonders why key education stakeholders have not approached him directly with clarity, data, and conviction.
Had they done so, there is little doubt that the Governor would have acted;and rightly taken the glory for it. This is a Governor who responds to persuasion, not procrastination; to solutions, not problems dressed as impossibilities.
It is time to break the jinx.This is also a moment for the SUBEB Chairman to rise decisively;to justify the merit-based recognition and global exposure, including accolades linked to institutions such as SUBEB , by championing a reform that restores dignity to the teaching profession.
A legacy-defining intervention in education administration would speak louder than any citation.Delta State can, and must, do better.
Teachers are not asking for charity; they are asking for fairness. They are asking for policies that recognise their qualifications, experience, and contribution to human capital development.
Other states have shown that it can be done. Delta, with its resources,CHARISMATIC Leadership; and REPUTATION, has no excuse lagging behind.The call, therefore, is simple and urgent:
Let those entrusted with education governance do the needful.Let the Governor be properly briefed.
Let justice be done to Delta’s University graduate teachers in primary schools across the state ; without waiting for strikes, protests, or avoidable social tension.Proactivity, as others have shown, is always more honourable .
