Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has ordered the immediate re-engagement of teachers who were retired or disengaged at age 60 but have not yet reached the new retirement age of 65.
The directive was announced on Monday during the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration in Umuahia, where the governor also ordered action on outstanding salaries, check-off dues and promotion-related entitlements owed to teachers across the state.
The move marks another significant step in the Abia State Government’s ongoing efforts to reform the education sector and address some of the welfare concerns affecting teachers.
Otti said the state had already approved the extension of the retirement age for teachers from 60 to 65 years. He therefore directed the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education to identify affected teachers and return those who are still below 65 to active service.
The governor made it clear that the directive should apply even to teachers who are only months away from reaching the new retirement age.
He expressed surprise that the issue remained unresolved despite the earlier policy change and instructed relevant authorities to ensure that affected teachers were brought back into the system.
The decision is expected to provide relief to teachers who were forced out of service under the previous retirement arrangement but became eligible to continue working following the extension of the retirement age.
Beyond the re-engagement of teachers, Otti used the occasion to address several outstanding financial and administrative issues within the teaching service.
The governor directed that outstanding check-off dues owed to teachers should be paid within seven days.
He also ordered the payment of salaries owed to teachers whose payments had been delayed because of verification issues, directing that the affected workers should receive their outstanding salaries before the end of October.
Another major issue addressed by the governor was the salaries of 4,075 newly recruited teachers who were yet to receive their wages.
Otti directed that their outstanding salaries should also be settled before the end of October, bringing the issue of delayed payments into sharper focus as the state continues to expand its teaching workforce.
The governor further directed the Abia State Universal Basic Education Board to work with the State Head of Service to resolve outstanding promotion matters involving teachers for the 2021 and 2022 promotion exercises.
The process, he ordered, must be harmonised and forwarded for approval before the end of October.
The series of directives came against the backdrop of broader efforts by the state government to increase investment in education and improve the conditions under which teachers operate.
Abia has in recent years expanded its public-school workforce, with the government previously announcing the recruitment of thousands of teachers as part of efforts to address manpower shortages in schools. The government has also highlighted increased budgetary attention to education, payment of inherited salary arrears and the development of smart schools across the state.
Speaking on the government’s plans for smart schools, Otti said the initiative was not designed to eliminate conventional schools or replace teachers with technology.
Instead, he said the objective was to expose children to modern educational opportunities while allowing traditional learning structures to continue serving their purpose.
The governor’s position reflects an education strategy that combines increased teacher recruitment with investment in infrastructure, technology and professional development.
Earlier at the celebration, the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Abia commended the administration for its interventions in the education sector, including teacher recruitment, salary-related measures and increased government attention to education.
However, the union also highlighted areas where further action was needed, particularly concerning the implementation of the 65-year retirement policy and the welfare of teachers affected by outstanding issues.
The latest directive therefore comes at a significant moment for Abia’s education sector.
For teachers who were retired at 60 but remain below 65, the order could mean a return to classrooms and an opportunity to continue their careers. For newly recruited teachers awaiting salaries, the governor’s October deadline also creates a clear expectation for payment.
The broader challenge now will be implementation.
With several deadlines attached to the governor’s directives, attention will shift to the relevant education authorities and government financial agencies to see how quickly the decisions are translated into action.
For Abia’s education system, the outcome could be significant. Re-engaging experienced teachers while settling outstanding financial and promotion matters could help strengthen staff morale at a time when the state is also trying to expand access to education and modernise its schools.
The governor’s World Teachers’ Day announcement has therefore placed teacher welfare, staffing and education reform firmly back at the centre of Abia’s policy agenda.
