|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Summary: Pastor Sarah Omakwu has raised concerns about the rising cost of education and the low salaries paid to teachers across Nigeria. She added that the amount is not enough to survive in an inflationary country like Nigeria.
Pastor Sarah Omakwu, the Senior Pastor of Family Worship Centre (FWC) in Abuja, has condemned the widespread practice of schools raising fees while paying low salaries to teachers. She said this during her Sunday sermon on September 6, 2026, while addressing the congregation at her church.
The hike in school fees across Nigeria is a major concern for parents seeking affordable education while struggling with serious financial responsibilities amid the country’s inflation. This crisis has pushed millions of households into severe financial distress, with private schools raising fees by up to 50%. Despite this increase, Nigerian teachers have continually lamented their monthly take-home earnings, which currently range between N18,000 and N70,000.
Addressing the congregation, Pastor Sarah openly challenged schools that are still paying below the minimum wage, questioning how anyone is expected to survive or even afford basic transportation under current conditions. She disclosed that her school hiked fees specifically to increase teachers’ paychecks.
“This season of school fees, almost every school has doubled or raised its school fees. Even in our school, we have raised the school fees because we need to increase teachers’ salaries so that they can at least afford transportation. Some employers are paying their workers salaries that are simply unacceptable. Can you imagine some people are still receiving N50,000 as salary in this current situation?” she expressed.
The preacher urged employers across Nigeria to evaluate their payrolls against current inflation, saying business owners cannot pretend they do not know what basic goods and transport cost today. To show her commitment to education amid poverty, she said she personally spent ₦10 million on textbooks, uniforms, and bags for vulnerable children in her village. She also funded renovations to local schools to get kids off the streets and back into classrooms.
