The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has defended the government’s decision to recruit only 7,000 teachers, citing severe budgetary constraints despite the pressing need for more educators across the country.
Speaking at the launch and communications briefing of the 19th edition of the eLearning Africa Conference on Tuesday, April 14, the minister acknowledged that the recruitment figure falls significantly short of what is required to adequately staff schools nationwide.
“If resources were available, we should be employing and recruiting up to 50,000 teachers across the country, but due to budgetary constraints, we are unable to do that,” Haruna Iddrisu stated.
He explained that the Ministry of Education had sought and received clearance from the Ministry of Finance to recruit 7,000 teachers with degrees and diplomas. The process, according to him, has already been advertised in an open and transparent manner to ensure fairness for all qualified applicants.
The minister’s comments come amid growing criticism from education stakeholders who argue that 7,000 new teachers are insufficient to address the acute teacher shortages plaguing many basic and second-cycle schools.
Haruna Iddrisu, however, maintained that the recruitment exercise was conducted in full compliance with existing procedures and emphasized the government’s commitment to transparency throughout the process.
Beyond the teacher recruitment challenges, the Education Minister also used the platform to outline the government’s plans to introduce a comprehensive digital education policy. The policy, he said, aims to bridge systemic gaps in the education sector and significantly improve learning outcomes for students across the country.
The 19th edition of the eLearning Africa Conference provides a platform for stakeholders to discuss innovative solutions to education challenges in Africa, with a strong focus on digital learning and technology integration in teaching and learning.