FCT Teachers Set to Begin Indefinite Strike Over Unpaid Entitlements

Public school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory are set to shut down classrooms as the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has declared an indefinite strike beginning Monday, April 20, 2026.

The action will affect both primary and secondary schools across all six area councils in Abuja.

The decision was announced after an emergency meeting of the union’s State Wing Executive Council held at the Teachers House in Gwagwalada. The meeting, which lasted several hours, ended with a resolution to withdraw services until the government addresses longstanding welfare concerns.

Speaking after the meeting, the FCT NUT Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Mohammed Shafas, said the strike became necessary due to the failure of the FCT Administration to act on teachers’ demands. He explained that the union had exhausted all avenues of dialogue before arriving at the decision.

At the centre of the dispute is the non-implementation of a committee report set up by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, on July 7, 2025. The committee was expected to resolve issues surrounding unpaid entitlements and other welfare concerns affecting primary school teachers.

However, several months after its submission, the report has not been released or implemented.

Shafas noted that teachers have continued to face delays in promotions and irregular payment structures. He also raised concerns about the requirement of “vacancy” as a condition for promotion, describing it as unfair to classroom teachers who have met all professional criteria.

Among the union’s key demands is the removal of this “vacancy” condition and a comprehensive review of the 2004 promotion exercise. According to the union, many qualified teachers have been stagnated for years despite meeting the requirements for advancement.

The NUT chairman further revealed that the union had earlier issued a seven-day ultimatum to the FCT Administration, which expired on March 19, 2026. This was followed by an additional 28-day grace period to allow the authorities respond. He said the government failed to engage the union or provide any meaningful update during that time.

“The meeting resolved that all public primary and secondary school teachers in the FCT shall, with effect from Monday, 20 April, 2026, proceed on an indefinite strike until the demands of the union are met,” Shafas stated.

The union has directed all teachers to comply fully with the strike order. It also advised parents and guardians to keep their children at home, warning that academic activities will be suspended indefinitely.

The timing of the strike is expected to disrupt the academic calendar, as public schools in the FCT are scheduled to resume for the second term on the same day the industrial action begins.