Come September 20, Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos will witness a historic convergence of over 60,000 educators from across Nigeria and beyond, as the Let There Be Teachers Conference aims to break a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of teachers in Africa. But beyond its symbolic ambition, the event is being billed as a potential turning point in the urgent quest to reform Nigeria’s education system.
Organised by 1 Million Teachers, a global professional development initiative focused on building teacher capacity, the conference is envisioned not as a mere ceremonial gathering, but as a movement. Its goal: to place teachers squarely at the heart of national development conversations.
“We are building a movement,” said Oluwaseyi Anifowose, the event convener. “This conference is about teachers being seen, heard, and empowered to be part of shaping the future of education in Nigeria.”
With support from the Lagos State Government and major education bodies including the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the Association of Private Educators in Nigeria (APEN), and the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), the event is set to be one of the largest in the continent’s education sector.
According to the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), over 2.3 million teachers were registered by 2023, with more than 1.6 million working in the basic education sub-sector. Despite these numbers, poor remuneration, limited professional development, and inadequate working conditions continue to drive a steady exodus of teachers from classrooms.
Globally, UNESCO’s 2024 report warns of a looming shortage of qualified teachers, projecting a global need for 44 million new educators by 2030. Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, faces the biggest deficit, needing 15 million more teachers within the next five years.
Anifowose argues that strengthening the teaching profession is central to achieving Nigeria’s national goals, from inclusive education and health to gender equality and climate action. In rural and underserved areas especially, teachers often serve not only as educators but also as community leaders, advocates for girls’ education, health campaigners, and climate ambassadors.
For Hakeem Subair, CEO of 1 Million Teachers, the conference could be a defining moment: “We’re calling on all tiers of government to not just pay attention to teachers’ salaries, but to recognise their contributions, invest in their growth, and include them meaningfully in policymaking.”
The event’s timing is crucial. With Nigeria’s education system grappling with chronic underfunding, outdated curricula, and an insufficient supply of qualified teachers, the Let There Be Teachers Conference is poised to shift national discourse and push for sustainable reforms.
Beyond the event, organisers say they are working towards a long-term model of teacher development, including influencing education policy, expanding access to training, and creating a globally competitive education workforce.
Education analyst Charles Ogwo aptly noted that while a Guinness World Record may grab headlines, the true success of the conference lies in whether it can “galvanise holistic reform” across Nigeria’s struggling education sector.
With teachers preparing to gather from Lagos to Lokoja, Makurdi to Maiduguri, all eyes are on September 20 — not just to set a record, but to reset the future of Nigerian education.
