By Maryam Shuaibu
President Bola Tinubu has approved the recruitment process for 3,252 verified Parent-Teacher Association teachers serving in Federal Unity Colleges and Federal Technical Colleges, offering a path into the Federal Civil Service after years of temporary employment.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the development on Thursday, saying the exercise is expected to address persistent teacher shortages in federal secondary schools while recognising the contributions of teachers who have spent years working under the PTA arrangement.
The minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, disclosed the development in a statement.
Mr Alausa said priority would be given to teachers who have been verified as eligible, including some who have taught in Federal Unity Colleges and Federal Technical Colleges for almost 25 years.
“This is a president who cares deeply for Nigeria and for the future of our country,” the minister said.
He added: “The president has approved the recruitment of teachers. Priority will be given to absorbing verified PTA teachers, many of whom have served in our Federal Unity Colleges and Federal Technical Colleges for almost 25 years. This approval provides them with the opportunity to become part of the mainstream public service.”
The teachers were identified through a verification exercise conducted by an inter-ministerial committee, according to the minister.
A total of 3,252 teachers were verified across the cadres of Education Officers, Assistant Education Officers and Technical Instructors. Their recruitment will, however, be subject to the completion of the remaining statutory requirements and processes required under public service regulations.
The minister described the approval as a major intervention to strengthen staffing in Federal Unity Colleges and improve the quality of teaching and learning.
He said absorbing experienced PTA teachers into the federal workforce would also preserve institutional knowledge built up over years of service and improve the teacher-student ratio in the colleges.
The Federal Ministry of Education has been under pressure to address staffing gaps in Unity Colleges, where PTAs have for years engaged teachers to supplement government-employed teaching staff.
The issue has become particularly contentious because some PTA teachers have remained in the schools for a decade or more without permanent appointments, despite performing regular teaching duties.
In May, reports emerged that PTA teachers in several Federal Unity Colleges had begun withdrawing teaching services over concerns about poor welfare and delays in regularising their appointments. The reported action affected colleges in different parts of the country and renewed calls for the government to resolve the status of the teachers.
The problem is not new. In 2014, the Federal Government announced plans to regularise the appointments of more than 890 PTA teachers in Unity Colleges, highlighting the long-standing reliance on PTA-funded personnel to fill staffing gaps (Blueprint Newspapers Limited).
Federal Unity Colleges remain a major part of Nigeria’s public secondary education system. Federal Ministry of Education data lists 110 Unity Colleges across the six geopolitical zones, while tens of thousands of pupils compete annually for admission through the National Common Entrance Examination. In 2025, about 64,000 candidates reportedly sat for the examination for admission into the 110 colleges (nemis.education.gov.ng).
The dependence on PTA teachers has also had financial implications for parents. In 2025, the Federal Government approved an increase in the PTA levy in Unity Colleges from ₦5,700 to ₦12,000 per term, with the government saying the adjustment followed requests from PTAs to meet their obligations in the colleges. Parents, however, raised concerns about the additional financial burden.
Mr Alausa said the latest recruitment would form part of broader efforts to improve teacher quality and reposition Federal Unity Colleges as centres of academic excellence under the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Investing in teachers is fundamental to building a stronger education system, as no education system can rise above the quality of its teachers,” he said.
He added that the ministry would work with relevant government agencies to complete the remaining statutory processes before final recruitment approvals are issued.
The minister assured the verified PTA teachers that the process would be conducted transparently and in accordance with public service rules.
For the affected teachers, the approval could bring an end to years of uncertainty over their employment status. For the government, the challenge will now be to complete the regularisation process and ensure that the additional workforce translates into improved staffing, teaching quality and learning outcomes across the federal colleges.