President Bola Tinubu has approved the commencement of the recruitment of 3,252 verified Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) teachers into the Federal Civil Service to address staffing shortages in Federal Unity Colleges and Federal Technical Colleges across Nigeria.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the approval in a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah. He said priority would be given to qualified PTA teachers who have already been verified, many of whom have served in federal schools for between 10 and 25 years without permanent appointments.
According to Alausa, the verification exercise was conducted by an inter-ministerial committee, which screened PTA teachers in Federal Unity Colleges and confirmed 3,252 eligible applicants across the cadres of Education Officers, Assistant Education Officers, and Technical Instructors. Their recruitment will proceed after the completion of the remaining statutory procedures.
The Minister described the approval as a major intervention in strengthening the federal teaching workforce, noting that the recruitment will help improve teacher-to-student ratios, enhance classroom instruction, and strengthen academic standards in federal schools.
He added that absorbing experienced PTA teachers into the mainstream public service would preserve valuable institutional knowledge, recognise years of service, and reduce schools’ dependence on temporary teaching arrangements funded by parents.
For years, Federal Unity Colleges have relied on PTA-funded teachers to fill staffing gaps caused by limited recruitment into the federal teaching service. Many of these teachers perform the same duties as government-employed teachers but have remained without permanent appointments, pension benefits, and employment security despite serving for more than a decade.
The regularisation follows years of appeals from affected teachers, parents, and education stakeholders, who have raised concerns about the financial burden placed on parents and the prolonged employment uncertainty faced by qualified teachers.
Alausa assured beneficiaries that the process would be conducted transparently, fairly, and in line with public service regulations, while the Ministry continues to work with relevant agencies to complete the necessary procedures.
He described the decision as evidence of the administration’s commitment to placing education and teacher development at the centre of national development, stressing that improving the quality of teachers remains essential to achieving better learning outcomes and sustaining excellence in Nigeria’s federal schools.