WorldStage– Public primary and secondary school teachers across the six area councils of the Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja commenced an indefinite strike on Monday, April 20, 2026.
The action follows the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike on March 11, which lapsed on March 29, along with a subsequent 28-day grace period that passed without a tangible response from authorities, according to the city’s branch of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).
While NUT acknowledged the recent implementation of the national minimum wage and the payment of nine months’ salary arrears to primary school teachers, it cited several critical unresolved issues as reason for the strike.
FCT NUT Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Mohammed Shafas, stated that teachers will remain off duty until all demands are met.
Explaining the unresolved issues, the Union stated that a committee established in July 2025 to harmonise outstanding teacher entitlements submitted its report in August 2025 and that FCT administration has neither made the report public nor implemented its recommendations.
The NUT is also demanding removal of “vacancy” as a mandatory precondition for the promotion of classroom teachers and called for a comprehensive review of the 2024 promotion exercise conducted by the FCT Civil Service Commission to ensure fair career.
It maintained that Teachers remain resolute that no teaching will occur until all outstanding salary arrears and pending benefits, including those from previous years, are cleared.
Schools including LEA Primary School (Area 10, Garki) and Government Science Technical College (Area 3, Garki) were reported as deserted today, Monday, with classrooms locked. The NUT has explicitly advised parents and guardians to keep their children at home for their safety and until further notice.
