ORIGIN OF NIGERIA UNION
OF TEACHERS
N.U.T. is a
union formed primarily to improve the economic conditions of teachers in the
country. It is also a reservoir of ideas that are useful for the educational
development of the nation.
The union
came into existence due to the pains of salary cuts, fear of job insecurity and
other economic plagues to which teachers were vulnerable.
On the 8th
and 9th of July, 1931, Lagos Union of Teachers (L.U.T: 1925 with
Reverend Canhon J.O Lucas as president), Association of Headmasters of Ijebu
Schools (A.H.I.S: 1926 presided by Reverend I.O Ransome Kuti) and some other
teachers associations from Agege, Ibadan, Abeokuta and Calabar came together,
held a meeting at CMS Grammar School, Lagos State and launched N.U.T with the
emergence of the following executives:
·
Reverend
Israel Oladotun Ransome Kuti as the National President.
·
Arch.
Deacon J.O Lucas as the Vice President
·
Mr.
T.K. Cameron as Honorary General Secretary
Also present
at the meeting were:
a) Reverend Emmanuel O. Alayande
b) Reverend Seth I Kale
c) Mr. E.N.E. Nkumo
d) Mr. T.J.O. Sanyade
In similar vein, in 1948, Mallam Aminu Kano led some officers
in Sokoto, Kano, Funtua, Minna, Jos, Bukuru, Kafanchan, Maiduguri, Makurdi,
Agyaragu, Ilorin, Lokoja, Kabba, Bassa, Offa, Igbomina, Yagba, Otukpo, Jebba,
etc to form a northern teachers association which was later registered on the
31st March, 1951 as Northern State Teachers’ Union (N.S.T.U) leading
to the emergence of the following executives:
·
Shetima
Sheu Ajiran (President)
·
Mallam
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (Vice President)
·
Mallam
Aminu Kano (General Secretary).
On 27th of
May, 1972, at NNA School, Muri road Kaduna, N.U.T. and N.S.T.U. signed an
agreement which merged them under the chairmanship of the Director, Institute
of Education, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Dr. A. F. Ogunsola.
Overtime, N.U.T. has waxed bigger and stronger spreading all
over the local government areas in Nigeria.
Above is a brief historical background of Nigeria Union of Teachers