The Rivers State Government has approved the recruitment of 5,000 teachers to strengthen service delivery in the education sector across the state.
The approval was granted by the Rivers State Executive Council at its second meeting of 2026, presided over by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, with the Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, in attendance. The meeting was held on Tuesday at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr. Honor Sirawoo, said the recruitment is aimed at improving the quality of education in public schools across the state.
According to him, 3,000 teachers will be deployed to basic and primary schools, while 2,000 will be assigned to post-primary institutions.
Sirawoo explained that the decision is part of the administration’s broader effort to strengthen public service delivery, particularly in the education sector, which remains a key priority of the Fubara-led government.
He disclosed that with this latest approval, the total number of persons employed by the current administration has risen to about 9,500.
He recalled that earlier recruitment exercises included 2,000 personnel for the health sector, 1,500 staff for Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, and 1,000 workers for the Universal Basic Education programme.
Emphasising the administration’s commitment to merit and professionalism, Sirawoo assured that the recruitment process would be transparent and strictly merit-based, to ensure that only qualified candidates are engaged.
He added that while the government continues to expand the workforce, its focus remains on effective service delivery rather than publicity, stressing that the administration is driven by service to the people of Rivers State.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment, Dr. Chisom Kenneth Gbali, described the approval as a significant boost, noting that his ministry stands to benefit greatly from the policy initiative.
