On September 20, 2025, Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos became a sea of educators. Tens of thousands of teachers, from every corner of Nigeria, filled the historic ground where independence was once declared. Their purpose was not protest, but pride.
At the heart of it all was Seyi Anifowose, a teacher and education advocate with an audacious dream: to put teachers on the world stage. That day, he did. The “Let There Be Teachers Conference 2025” was officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest gathering of teachers in history.
“This is more than a record,” Anifowose said. “It is proof that teachers matter. It is a victory for education, and it is a victory for Nigeria.”
The achievement was hard-won. Teachers stood under scorching sun and sudden rain, queued for hours, and endured long verification checks. Yet they stayed. Their resilience mirrored the daily realities of classrooms across the nation—overcrowded, underfunded, but never abandoned.
For Anifowose, the symbolism was clear: “This ground gave Nigeria its freedom in 1960. Today, it gave teachers the honour they deserve.”
Organisers, backed by 1 Million Teachers, had projected 60,000 participants, a figure that underscored both the scale of mobilisation and the urgency of the cause.
Now, with the record secured, he is pushing for the next step—policy reforms to improve teacher training, welfare, and recognition. Nigeria, after all, faces one of the world’s deepest teacher shortages.
Still, that September morning told a different story. For once, teachers were not in the background. They were history’s headline and at the centre of it stood one man who believed they should be.
Seyi Anifowose has given Nigeria not just a place in the record books, but a powerful reminder of who truly builds a nation.
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