LASUED VC: No Teacher in Lagos Earns Below N150,000 Monthly

The Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Professor Bidemi Lafiaji-Okuneye, has revealed that no teacher in Lagos State earns less than ₦150,000 monthly. She made this disclosure during the 2025 World Teachers’ Day celebration held at the university’s Ijanikin campus on Monday. The event, themed “Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession,” brought together teachers, education policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss the future of the teaching profession in Nigeria.

Professor Lafiaji-Okuneye highlighted that teacher welfare is central to the quality of education, stressing that undervaluing or underpaying educators weakens the entire education system. “When teachers are undervalued, underpaid, and unsupported, the entire educational edifice begins to crack,” she said. The Vice-Chancellor explained that Lagos remains one of the few states with a competitive salary structure for teachers, adding that the government’s commitment has significantly improved morale and retention. “In Lagos State, I can tell you authoritatively that no teacher goes home with less than ₦150,000. But we can do better,” she stated.

Despite this progress, the LASUED Vice-Chancellor acknowledged lingering challenges affecting the profession, such as inadequate preparation, poor working conditions, and limited access to professional development. She called for continued reforms and investments to strengthen the teaching workforce and make the profession more appealing to young Nigerians. “Teachers deserve consistent support and opportunities to grow,” she noted, urging both federal and state authorities to address these gaps.

Professor Lafiaji-Okuneye also appealed to the Lagos State Government and education funding agencies to allocate at least 20% of the annual education budget from 2026 toward upgrading classroom infrastructure, digital learning tools, and science laboratories. Her remarks came amid ongoing national reforms in teacher certification by the Federal Ministry of Education and the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), aimed at improving professional standards and digital literacy among teachers nationwide.