Soludo Hails Teachers’ Impact, Announces Plans for New Recruitment Drive
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening the education sector, announcing plans to recruit additional teachers to sustain recent gains in literacy and enrollment.
In a statement by his Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, on Wednesday, Soludo praised teachers for their dedication and described them as the foundation of every educational system.
“You are doing a fantastic job, and I want to highlight that basic statistics show Anambra is leading in many educational metrics,” the governor said.
“There is no educational system without the teachers; the future of a society is intrinsically linked to the quality of its teachers and the quality of teaching they provide.”
Soludo noted that his government had recruited 8,115 teachers through a merit-based process that drew applicants from 18 states across Nigeria, as part of efforts to reverse years of neglect in the education sector.
“Literacy and numeracy have improved by over 40 per cent, and enrollment rates have surged since we took office. This reflects the progress made under my administration,” he said.
“We acknowledge the challenges the state faced when I assumed leadership. When we came, we discovered that public education was completely neglected and abandoned, and we vowed to restore the sector to its rightful place. To sustain this momentum, we plan to recruit even more teachers soon.”
The governor’s renewed focus on teacher recruitment comes as Anambra’s public schools experience a surge in enrollment, attributed largely to the state’s free education policy.
At the event, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngọzi Chuma-Udeh, commended teachers for their influence on the lives of pupils and pledged continued government support.
“These are the parents whose lives you have positively touched. We recognise the vital role that teachers play in shaping the community’s future,” Chuma-Udeh said. “We will continue to declare the good works of the Governor,” she added.
The Chairman of the Post Primary Schools Service Commission, Prof. Nkechi Ikediugwu, and the Chairman of the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Vera Nwadinobi, also lauded Soludo’s educational reforms.
They noted that class sizes had risen to 70 or more students due to the growing demand for public education following the free schooling initiative.
During the event, groups including The Patriots and the Association of People Living with Disabilities endorsed Governor Soludo and his deputy for a second term in office, citing their achievements in education.
Globally, this year’s World Teachers’ Day theme, “Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession,” set by UNESCO, ILO, Education International, and UNICEF, underscores the importance of empowering teachers through collaboration and adequate welfare.
The organisations called on governments and partners to invest in educators to build inclusive and resilient education systems.
