Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has commended Nigerian teachers for their dedication to duty while criticising President Bola Tinubu over what he described as worsening economic hardship facing teaching professionals across the country.

 Atiku made the remarks in a statement issued on Monday by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, to mark the 2026 World Teachers’ Day.

 The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress also questioned President Tinubu’s understanding of the challenges confronting teachers, alleging that the President could not recall the name of a teacher who taught him or a classmate who sat beside him.

 Atiku said his own experiences had given him a deep appreciation of the role teachers played in shaping his life. He recalled his early years in Jada, where he said teachers recognised his potential despite being a young orphan.

 “I still remember the names and faces of my early teachers in Jada, who saw potential in a young orphan when few others did. They taught me arithmetic and grammar, but they also gave me a future,” he said.

 He argued that leaders’ inability to identify with the experiences of teachers was reflected in policies that had failed to adequately address their welfare.

 “It is both revealing and deeply embarrassing that Bola Tinubu cannot name a single teacher who stood before him or a classmate who sat beside him,” Atiku said.

 The former Vice President described teachers as central to national development, stressing that their contribution extended beyond classroom instruction.

 “Teachers are the architects of every nation’s future. A leader who cannot remember those who laid the foundation of his own education has shown just how far removed he is from the classroom and from the daily struggles of those who keep it alive,” he said.

 Atiku expressed concern over the financial difficulties facing teachers, citing the rising cost of transportation and food as examples of the pressures confronting many education workers.

 “When I hear of a teacher forced to walk miles because transport fares consume so much of their salary, or borrowing food on credit to feed their family before going to teach our children, my heart breaks,” he said.

 He also criticised governments for celebrating teachers on October 5 while, according to him, failing to provide the conditions required for them to live and work with dignity.

 “Government cannot praise teachers on this day and leave them to face hardship for the rest of the year. A commemorative message cannot pay a teacher’s bills,” Atiku said.

 Atiku, who founded the American University of Nigeria, said his experience in the education sector had reinforced his belief in the importance of teachers to the country’s future.

 He described teachers as builders of confidence, knowledge and opportunity, arguing that Nigeria could not achieve sustainable development while neglecting those responsible for educating its children.

 The former Vice President further pledged that, if elected, his administration would prioritise measures to reduce the cost of living, promote decent employment and improve the welfare of teachers and other working Nigerians.