By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Federal Capital Territory chapter, has directed all public primary and secondary school teachers to commence an indefinite strike from Monday over unresolved welfare issues and outstanding entitlements.
The directive followed an emergency State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) meeting held in Gwagwalada, Abuja, on Friday,17 April, 2026 with the communiqué released to journalists on Saturday,18 April ,2026 Signed by State Chairman Abdullahi Shafa, State Secretary Margaret Jethro and State Publicity Secretary Ibukun Adekeye.
The union instructed teachers to comply fully and await further directives. It also urged parents to keep their children and wards at home “until further notice” to ensure their safety.
Accordingly, the union said the action became necessary after reviewing a seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, on March 11, which expired on March 29 without a concrete response.
While it acknowledged the minister’s implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage and payment of nine months’ arrears to primary school teachers, it stressed that critical demands remained unaddressed.
Furthermore, the communiqué recalled that Wike had, on July 7, 2025, constituted a committee mandated to harmonise all outstanding entitlements within two weeks and recommend lasting solutions to recurring industrial disputes.
However, although the committee submitted its report in August 2025, the union noted that it “is yet to be made public,” describing the delay as unjustified.
Subsequently, the union explained that the ultimatum was issued due to the prolonged silence on teachers’ legitimate demands, particularly amid worsening economic conditions in the FCT.
It maintained that the administration was expected to release and implement the committee’s report within the stipulated period.
In addition, the union demanded the removal of the “vacancies” condition tied to the promotion of classroom teachers and called for a total review of the 2024 promotion exercise conducted by the FCT Civil Service Commission to ensure the unhindered advancement of eligible teachers.
The council expressed concern that even after the ultimatum expired, alongside an additional 28-day grace period, authorities had failed to respond.
“After exhaustive deliberations on the industrial issues and the silence on the legitimate demands of teachers’ welfare, the Council resolved that all public primary and secondary school teachers in the FCT shall, with effect from Monday, proceed on an indefinite strike until our demands are met,” the communiqué stated.
The union emphasised that teachers would remain at home until all demands are met, signalling a prolonged disruption to academic activities across public schools in the territory.
