Rivers State to Deploy 5,000 Additional Teachers to Public Schools

Government says recruitment is aimed at addressing manpower gaps as the 2026/2027 academic session begins across Rivers State.

The Rivers State Government says it will deploy approximately 5,000 additional teachers to public schools across the state as part of efforts to address staffing gaps and strengthen teaching and learning.

The Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, disclosed the plan during an inspection of schools in Port Harcourt following the commencement of the 2026/2027 academic session.

The announcement comes as public and private schools across Rivers State settle into the new academic year, with the Ministry of Education monitoring resumption and the commencement of academic activities.

Government Identifies Teacher Shortages

According to the Commissioner, the planned deployment is intended to address manpower shortages in public schools and ensure that students have adequate access to qualified teachers.

The government said the additional teachers would be deployed to schools across the state in the coming weeks.

The move comes against the background of concerns about teacher availability in some public schools, particularly where existing staff numbers may not be sufficient for the number of learners enrolled.

"Adequate staffing is an important part of school effectiveness because teacher availability affects class sizes, workload, subject coverage and the amount of individual attention students can receive."

Announcement Comes After Resumption Monitoring

The Commissioner made the announcement while monitoring the first day of resumption for the 2026/2027 academic session.

The Ministry's monitoring team visited selected schools within Port Harcourt to assess the level of compliance among students and teachers and to ascertain whether academic activities had commenced as scheduled.

The Ministry reported an impressive turnout of both students and teachers in the schools visited.

The government had earlier directed public and private schools across the state to resume for the first term on September 7, 2026, with schools expected to commence both academic and non-academic activities in accordance with the approved academic calendar.

Schools Also Expected to Improve Facilities

The additional teacher deployment is being announced alongside plans to improve school infrastructure.

The Commissioner said the state government also intends to renovate and improve school facilities, noting the importance of providing learning environments that support effective teaching and academic development.

The combination of staffing and infrastructure is significant because teacher availability alone does not determine the quality of a school. Classrooms, laboratories, learning materials, sanitation facilities and other resources also affect the environment in which teachers and students work.

Rivers Reports Improvement in WASSCE Performance

The teacher deployment announcement also follows the Ministry's report of improved performance by Rivers students in the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

At a pre-resumption stakeholders' meeting with principals, head teachers and education officials, the Commissioner described the state's 2026 WASSCE performance as its best result in three years.

He urged education stakeholders to sustain the progress and continue working toward improved educational outcomes across the state.

What Happens Next?

The government says the additional teachers will be deployed to public schools in the coming weeks. The effectiveness of the recruitment and deployment will depend on how the teachers are distributed across schools and subject areas, particularly in schools experiencing significant staffing gaps.

The development also comes as the Ministry begins its Whole School/Follow-Through Evaluation of public and private schools for the 2026/2027 academic session.

That evaluation is focused on areas including:

• Learner outcomes and academic achievement
• Quality of curriculum and teaching provision
• School leadership, supervision and governance
• Registration renewal and operational compliance
• Overall school effectiveness and safety standards

The Rivers State Government has therefore announced two developments at the beginning of the new academic year that directly concern school capacity: additional teachers for public schools and renewed evaluation of schools across the state.

Further details on the recruitment, including the number of teachers allocated to individual local government areas, subjects or schools, have not been provided in the sources reviewed for this report.