Teachers have been urged to consider real estate investment as a long-term strategy for building wealth and securing their financial future.

The call was made at a one-day conference themed “Teachers Must Become Landlords,” organised by Real Estate Synergy Support Associate (RESSA).

The conference focused on helping teachers understand property ownership and develop practical strategies for building assets beyond their salaries.

Speaking at the event, RESSA Executive Director and conference convener Festus Ibiam said the initiative seeks to change how teachers view their earnings.

He said teachers should not see their profession only as a source of income. Instead, they should explore opportunities to build wealth, own property and create lasting assets.

Ibiam encouraged teachers to use cooperative contributions and disciplined savings to acquire land gradually.

He said many teachers, particularly those with lower incomes, want to own homes but often consider property ownership financially out of reach.

According to him, RESSA created the initiative to provide practical pathways for teachers to become property owners.

“We deliberately chose teachers because of their strategic role in nation-building,” Ibiam said, noting their influence on children and society.

He added that financially secure teachers could approach retirement with greater confidence and provide stronger support for their families and communities.

Ibiam also urged the government to introduce policies that could help address Nigeria’s housing deficit and create an enabling environment for property ownership.

He said the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), teachers’ cooperatives and financial institutions could also play important roles.

According to him, cooperatives can encourage collective participation, while financial institutions could develop financing options that make property ownership more affordable.

Ibiam described land as a long-term investment that can appreciate and provide a foundation for housing, income generation and inheritance.

He said property ownership could also provide greater stability for teachers approaching retirement.

Speaking on “Building Wealth on Teachers’ Salaries,” retired principal Folarin Sunkanmi Quadri urged teachers to focus on how they manage their earnings.

Quadri said earning a high income does not automatically create wealth, stressing the importance of saving and investing consistently.

He encouraged teachers to explore additional income opportunities using their professional skills.

These opportunities, he said, include home lessons, online tutoring, CBT training and writing or marking WAEC and NECO papers.

The speakers stressed that teachers can combine disciplined savings, cooperative contributions, property investment and additional income to strengthen their financial position.

The conference also reinforced the argument that teachers’ financial wellbeing can have wider implications for families, schools and communities.

RESSA said its broader goal is to help teachers become landlords, investors and financially empowered citizens.

For teachers, the central message from the conference was that property ownership does not necessarily require immediate large capital. With structured planning and gradual investment, land ownership can become a long-term financial objective.

The initiative also places responsibility on government and financial institutions to create more accessible pathways for lower-income workers to participate in the housing and property market.

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