Public school teachers in Kwara State staged a protest on Friday to demand inclusion in the recently approved 30% peculiar salary allowance, accusing both the state government and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) leadership of neglect and betrayal.

The teachers argued that while other state workers have received the 30% allowance, teachers remain excluded, worsening economic hardship for educators. Some protesters also criticised the NUT leadership for failing to effectively represent their interests.

One teacher, identified as Olayinka, said, “We’re protesting against Kwara NUT leadership for their inaction and complacency. Teachers were excluded from the 30% peculiar allowance, which has already been paid to other state workers.”

During the protest, teachers displayed placards highlighting financial struggles, with messages such as:

• “Economic hardships of Kwara teachers are escalating daily. Implement 30% peculiar allowance now!”
• “We are tired of living on loan procurement just to sustain life.”

The protesters convened at the NUT Kwara State Secretariat along Asa Dam Road, singing solidarity songs to express their frustration over neglect and unfair treatment.

Some teachers noted that the 27% allowance currently cited for teachers is not new and has been implemented in other states since 2018. They argued that the exclusion from the 30% allowance puts Kwara teachers at a disadvantage compared to other civil servants.

Meanwhile, the NUT Kwara State leadership distanced itself from the protest, stating that it neither authorised nor endorsed the action. In a statement signed by the State Chairman, Comrade Yusuf Wahab Agboola, and Deputy Secretary-General, MONI Mike Modesty Itua, the union warned that anyone protesting in the name of teachers does so at their own risk.

The union also praised the state government for approving teacher-specific allowances, noting that the Teachers Specific Allowances (TSA) of 27.5% and 21% were granted in fulfilment of union demands.