Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has directed officials validating the records of teachers currently on strike to work with speed and accuracy as government moves to address concerns raised by the pre-tertiary teacher unions.
Mr Iddrisu made the call when he visited the data processing centre where the records are being validated to pave the way for payments to eligible teachers.
He said government expects the validation of at least 51,000 teachers to be completed by the end of Monday, October 5, 2026.
According to the Minister, completing the exercise will enable government to make the necessary arrangements for supplementary payments to affected teachers.
He explained that once the validated data is submitted, the Ministry of Finance will be directed to begin arrangements for the first tranche of the outstanding payments.
The initial payment is expected to be processed by October 16, 2026.
Mr Iddrisu urged officials overseeing the exercise to work swiftly while maintaining accuracy, stressing that the validation process is critical to ensuring that eligible teachers receive their outstanding payments.
He said government could best fulfil its commitment by ensuring that 52,000 out of the 80,000 records are successfully validated.
The Minister also called on the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department to expedite the process.
Government sets October 30 deadline for promotion arrears
Mr Iddrisu further reiterated government’s commitment to placing teachers who have been promoted on their new grades by October 30, 2026.
He described any failure to meet the deadline for paying promotion salary arrears and placing affected teachers on their new grades as “inexcusable.”
The Minister also appealed to the striking teachers to consider calling off their industrial action as government works to address their concerns.
He acknowledged that the issues raised by the teacher unions regarding a collective agreement and new conditions of service remain important matters that government must address.
“I renew the call that we treat each other in good faith,” he said.
Mr Iddrisu called for mutual respect between government and the teacher unions as negotiations continue, stressing the need for both sides to work towards resolving the outstanding issues.
