… Recruits 500 new teachers
… Okpebholo to present appointment letters Oct 15
BENIN CITY – The Edo State Government has announced the absorption of 4,000 volunteer teachers under the EdoSTAR Teaching Programme and the recruitment of an additional 500 new teachers to further strengthen the state’s education system.
Commissioner for Education, Dr. Paddy Iyamu, disclosed this on Sunday in Benin City during the 2025 World Teachers’ Day celebration, themed “Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession.”
Iyamu said the initiative reflects Governor Monday Okpebholo’s commitment to rewarding dedication and addressing the shortage of qualified teachers in public primary and secondary schools across the state.
“Come October 15, we are going to present letters of appointment to about 4,000 EdoSTAR volunteer teachers who have been teaching for the past three years,” he announced.
“In addition, the government will recruit another 500 teachers into the system.”
The commissioner explained that the move would end the era of prolonged probation for volunteer teachers and bridge manpower gaps in schools.
“Even an apprentice does not train for three years without confirmation,” he said, adding that the teachers would receive their appointment letters at a public ceremony in Government House.
Iyamu revealed that the state government had built over 68 new schools in less than a year and trained more than 6,000 teachers in digital and technical skills, including robotics and artificial intelligence, to enhance classroom delivery.
“When we build schools without teachers, they are just empty buildings. We are investing in people who will shape our children’s future,” he stressed.
He also announced that the government had institutionalised Teachers’ Fitness Day to be marked every October 4 to promote teachers’ well-being, while the Best Teacher Award for outstanding performance would be held annually on November 25.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Edo State Wing, Mr. Bernard Ajobiewe, commended the Okpebholo administration for implementing the N75,000 minimum wage, promoting teachers, and renovating schools.
He, however, called for the urgent recruitment of more teachers in rural areas, noting, “If we renovate schools and there are no teachers, we have done nothing.”
Ajobiewe also decried the poor state of facilities in rural schools and urged the government to implement financial benefits for promoted teachers and clear accrued arrears.
He further cautioned against handing over public schools to missionaries, warning it could lead to inequity and limit access for marginalised groups.
In her remarks, the Chairperson of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mrs. Ebanehita Omonzane, lauded teachers for their resilience, urging them to continue shaping young minds with patience and integrity, describing them as “true nation builders.”
Delivering the keynote lecture, Comrade Joe Iyalekhue, a retired Principal Assistant Secretary-General of the NUT, emphasised that collaboration is central to modern teaching practice.
“No teacher can succeed in isolation. Collaboration, not competition, is the future of education,” he said.
