‘MOTORCYCLE CAN’T TEACH A CHILD, BUT IT CAN TAKE THE TEACHER TO SCHOOL’ — SPEAKER by James Onah Kaduna

 

Kaduna: 3,000 Teachers Empowered in Zaria Constituency, 1,000 Motorcycles Distributed

From Classroom to Leadership: Speaker Makes Teacher Welfare Major Education Agenda

A former classroom teacher and now Speaker has launched a major intervention aimed at easing the transportation burden on teachers, declaring that improving teachers’ welfare is indispensable to fixing the nation’s education system.

The Speaker made the declaration while highlighting the distribution of motorcycles to teachers across Zaria Federal Constituency, describing the vehicles not as political gifts or ceremonial gestures, but as essential working tools for educators serving communities far from their places of residence.

In a striking summary of the philosophy behind the intervention, he declared:

“A motorcycle cannot teach a child. But it can take the teacher who will.”

The Speaker, who taught in primary schools under the Zaria Local Government Education Department between 1981 and 1988, said his personal experience in the classroom had given him a firsthand understanding of the challenges confronting teachers.

Rt Honourable Tajudeen Abba
Speaker Nigeria Palaiments 

He recalled the daily sacrifices involved in preparing lessons, marking pupils’ books, guiding young learners and travelling considerable distances to schools despite increasing transportation costs.

“I know this because I have been there,”

he said.

According to him, the transportation intervention is intended to address a practical problem that directly affects teaching and learning: the ability of teachers to get to their schools on time and consistently.

He disclosed that since assuming the position of Speaker, more than 3,000 teachers in Zaria Federal Constituency have benefited from empowerment initiatives, including the presentation of 1,000 motorcycles during the 2026 Democracy Day programme.

The intervention, he explained, is designed to help teachers arrive at their schools earlier, cut transportation expenses, improve punctuality and create better conditions for effective teaching.

The objective is simple: help teachers reach their schools earlier, reduce transportation costs, improve punctuality and ultimately give our children a better chance to learn,” he said.

‘TEACHER WELFARE IS EDUCATION POLICY’

The Speaker said governments must move beyond viewing teacher welfare as an optional intervention, insisting that the wellbeing and working conditions of teachers should be treated as a central component of education policy.

He argued that while governments could provide school buildings, textbooks and modern technology, none could replace the human role of the teacher in understanding and inspiring a child.

Display bikes for empowerment for teachers.

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We can build schools, provide books and deploy technology, but none can recognise the confusion on a child’s face, encourage a wrong answer or discover hidden talent. Only a teacher can do that,”

he said.

The Speaker’s position reflects his own journey from the classroom to public leadership, with his teaching experience shaping his approach to education and teacher support.

He said his commitment to the welfare of teachers was therefore deeply personal.

“

For me, this is personal. I came from the classroom, and I will continue to champion the welfare of those who dedicate their lives to building the future of our children,” he declared.

The Speaker maintained that supporting teachers goes beyond improving their personal welfare, stressing that it is ultimately an investment in children and the future of society.

With teachers able to reach their schools more easily and punctually, he said, pupils stand to benefit from improved classroom attendance, greater instructional time and a stronger learning environment.

The motorcycle intervention, he added, represents a practical effort to remove one of the everyday obstacles standing between teachers and the children they are entrusted to educate.