The APC Governorship Candidate in Oyo State, Sen. Sharafadeen Alli, has pledged to place teachers at the centre of his administration’s education reform agenda if elected governor in 2027.
Alli made the pledge in a goodwill message to teachers in Oyo State ahead of the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration.
He said his administration would introduce an enhanced teachers’ welfare package within its first 100 days in office, including improved car and housing loans, special rural hardship allowances and a dedicated teachers’ housing and mortgage scheme prioritising hard-to-staff areas.
The candidate also promised immediate clearance of backlogs relating to promotions, inter-zonal transfers and secondments through a transparent digital tracking portal to eliminate unnecessary delays and administrative bottlenecks.
Alli said his administration would institute annual State Teachers’ Excellence Awards, featuring cash prizes, vehicles, laptops and training grants, with an open digital selection process and special recognition for teachers serving in rural communities.
He promised to establish a fast-track unit for retired teachers’ pensions and gratuities, with clear timelines for clearing outstanding arrears, while providing continuous professional development in digital skills, artificial intelligence tools, inclusive education and subject mastery, particularly for rural teachers.
According to him, special incentives would be provided for rural postings, alongside a structured teacher-mobility system to address uneven distribution of qualified teachers and retain quality personnel in underserved schools.
Alli further pledged specialised recruitment and training for special needs and early-childhood teachers, describing the two areas as critical to building an inclusive and sustainable education system in the state.
He promised a comprehensive school security architecture comprising perimeter fencing, community security partnerships, rapid-response protocols as well as support and insurance packages for teachers affected by insecurity.
The APC candidate also promised guaranteed and timely release of running grants to all school heads through a digital accountability system, saying no teacher should continue to spend personal resources to provide basic materials needed for effective teaching.
Alli said his administration would accelerate renovation of classrooms, provision of furniture and development of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, with priority given to rural and overcrowded schools.
He pledged expanded access to Information and Communication Technology through solar-powered laboratories, digital devices and modern teaching tools in more public schools, particularly those currently underserved.
On the challenge of out-of-school children, Alli promised an aggressive reduction of the estimated 674,000 children outside the school system through community mobilisation, incentives and public tracking of progress.
He said his administration would also launch an “Oyo Teachers First Compact”, with measurable key performance indicators covering teachers’ welfare, security, professional development and learning outcomes, to be implemented in partnership with the Nigeria Union of Teachers and other education unions.
Alli said teachers remained indispensable to the development of human capital, stressing that no education reform could succeed where teachers were neglected, demoralised or denied the tools and welfare required to perform their duties.
He said the World Teachers’ Day celebration should therefore go beyond speeches and ceremonies to concrete commitments that would restore dignity, motivation and professional pride among teachers.
“Our teachers deserve more than applause; they deserve a government that respects their sacrifices, protects their lives, rewards excellence and provides the tools required to teach effectively,” Alli said.
He congratulated teachers across Oyo State on the celebration and assured them that an APC administration under his leadership would make their welfare, professional development and working conditions a major priority.
Alli urged teachers to remain committed to their noble profession, assuring them that his proposed administration would work with education stakeholders to rebuild confidence in the state’s education system and deliver measurable improvements in learning outcomes.
