Death of Agni Deo Singh, an outstanding public education champion
It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of Agni Deo Singh, on September 12th, 2026.
Singh was Fiji’s Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, responsible for key areas affecting workers, employment relations and workplace policies.
He also served as General Secretary of the Fiji Teachers Union from 1999 to 2006 and again from 2007 until December 2022. He was also a member of the Education International Asia-Pacific Regional Committee until December 2022. For more than two decades, he was a courageous and unwavering advocate for teachers, workers’ rights, equality, and democracy in Fiji.
“One of his first decisions as Minister was to grant permanent employment status to civil servants, including teachers, across Fiji,” stressed the Director of the Education International Asia-Pacific Region, Anand Singh.
He recalled: “For those of us who had the privilege of working with Agni, he was much more than the positions he held. He was a comrade, colleague, and friend; passionate, forthright, warm, and sharp-witted, with strong convictions and a remarkable ability to speak his mind. I will remember the many conversations and debates we shared, his humour and generosity, and above all, his unwavering commitment to justice and solidarity. I will also remember his reassuring smile.”
The EI regional Director acknowledged that “his passing is a great loss to the Fiji Teachers Union, the Fijian trade union movement, and the wider Education International family across the Asia-Pacific region.”
To his family, loved ones, colleagues and friends, we express our sincere condolences.
