ABUJA — Nigerian teachers marked World Teachers' Day on October 5 with renewed calls for better welfare, 60 years after the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation on the Status of Teachers. The theme for 2026 was 'Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures'. In a joint message, the heads of UNESCO, the ILO, UNICEF and Education International said the world needs 50 million more teachers by 2030. The National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Titus Amba, represented by Deputy National President Kizito Kalu, said a special salary scale for teachers approved in 2022 had still not been implemented four years later. He also cited overcrowded classrooms, decaying infrastructure and teacher shortages caused by states not recruiting, and asked that artificial intelligence be used to support teachers rather than replace them. Teachers who spoke to ThisDay anonymously called for cash incentives, awards and public recognition.