Inside FCT’s education crisis

Public primary and secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have continued to witness disruptions and persistent shutdowns due to industrial actions embarked upon by labour unions over remuneration, promotion and sundry welfare issues, Weekend Trust reports.

The latest in the series of strike actions was the one embarked upon by the FCT Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on October 7, which was suspended on October 20 after grounding academic activities across public schools in the territory for 14 days.

While the suspension may have brought some temporary relief to parents, students, pupils and other stakeholders in the education sector; there are, however, concerns that the industrial ceasefire may not last long if the concerned parties don’t take the necessary measures and actions that would guarantee a permanent industrial harmony in the education sector in the nation’s capital.

This is as parents and education experts have raised the alarm that persistent strikes and shutdown of public schools in the FCT would further compound the out-of-school children crisis and increase the rate of early marriages among young girls forced out of schools.

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FCT public schools and industrial actions

Public schools in the FCT have suffered repeated disruptions since 2023 as teachers and labour unions embarked on industrial actions over unpaid allowances, minimum wage arrears, delayed promotions and disagreements over career progression.

The recurring strikes have affected teaching schedules, placed additional pressure on parents and raised concerns about learning losses among pupils, particularly children from low income households who cannot afford private schools or extra lessons.

A review of reported industrial actions shows that public schools in the territory were affected by major strikes in September 2023, January 2024, September 2024 and March 2025. Further industrial actions followed in April 2026, and the latest, which began on October 7 and was suspended on October 20 over promotion-related grievances and other labour demands.

Between September 2023 and October 2026, at least six major strike actions, which resulted in an estimated loss of over 180 days of school time, were recorded in the FCT.

Unpaid entitlements triggered first major strike

One of the major industrial actions began on September 11, 2023 when primary school teachers embarked on an indefinite strike over outstanding minimum wage arrears, the 40 per cent peculiar allowance and other entitlements.

The action disrupted academic activities across public primary schools in the FCT. It was suspended on October 2, 2023 following an intervention by the FCT Administration and assurances that the outstanding issues would be addressed.

However, the dispute resurfaced on January 15, 2024 when teachers resumed the strike, accusing the relevant authorities of failing to fulfill earlier commitments.

The action was suspended on January 29 after renewed negotiations.

Another strike followed on September 18, 2024 over outstanding arrears and allowances. It was suspended on October 8, 2024 after allowing schools to reopen after about three weeks of disruption.

Strike lasted over 3 months in 2025

The dispute escalated in March 2025 when primary school teachers began another strike over the implementation of the new national minimum wage and outstanding entitlements.

The strike, which started on March 24, lasted until July 9, keeping pupils away from classrooms for more than three months.

The action was suspended after the release of N16 billion by the six FCT area councils to help address outstanding claims. However, reports at the time indicated that the funds covered only part of the financial obligations under dispute.

The prolonged closure intensified concerns about the consequences of industrial disputes for children in public schools, particularly those preparing for examinations or transitioning to another level of education.

In 2026, the disagreements increasingly included concerns about career progression, promotion delays and the policy requiring vacancies for certain promotions.

On April 20, 2026, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) announced another indefinite strike involving primary and secondary school teachers over unresolved demands relating to welfare and other issues. The strike was, however, suspended on April 26, 2026, barely a week.

On October 7, the Nigeria Labour Congress declared another indefinite strike following disputes that included the promotion policy, delays affecting eligible teachers and other labour grievances.

The union opposed the use of available vacancies as a condition for promotion, arguing that eligible teachers should progress in their careers when due. It also called for action on outstanding promotion exercises and disputed decisions affecting some teachers.

The strike was, however, suspended on October 20 following conciliatory talks involving labour representatives and government authorities, with teachers directed to resume work on October 21.

The suspension, however, did not automatically establish that every demand had been resolved. The terms of the agreement and the implementation timetable remain important to determining whether the disputes will recur.

Parents, students bear consequences

Repeated school closures have implications beyond the number of days pupils and students spend away from classrooms.

Some parents responded to the persistent disruption by enrolling their children in private schools or paying for extra lessons, while families unable to afford these alternatives may have to keep their children at home or find other activities for them.

For pupils and students preparing for examinations, the interruptions had reduced the time available to complete their syllabus, revise lessons and seek clarification from teachers, Weekend Trust gathered.

The disruptions have widened the gap between children whose families can afford additional academic support and those who depend entirely on public schools.

In Kabusa, Mrs Hannatu Bawa, a mother of two secondary school students, said the persistent strikes disrupted her children’s education and placed additional pressure on the family’s finances.

Since the closure of schools, she said she had struggled to keep her children engaged academically while worrying about the possibility of them falling behind their classmates in private schools.

Bawa said she had engaged a lesson teacher to help the children continue learning, paying about N15,000 per child. However, the additional expense has become another financial responsibility for the household.

For a family that had already planned its spending around the normal school calendar, paying for private lessons during a public school strike is an unexpected burden.

She wants the FCT Administration to resolve the issues responsible for the persistent industrial actions for a smooth running of learning in the FCT.

Bawa appealed to the authorities to prioritise the reopening of schools, warning that prolonged closures would further undermine the education of children whose parents depend on government-owned institutions.

Mrs Blessing Okon, a resident of Kubwa in Bwari Area Council, said she had taken a decision to move her three children from an LEA primary school to a small private school near her home due to persistent industrial actions.

The arrangement costs her N10,000 per child for the month, an expense she said she had not anticipated.

“I was forced to take them to a small private school near my house. I am paying N10,000 each for this month, which I did not plan for. The FCT Administration should please settle with the teachers and reopen our schools.”

For Okon, the decision was driven by the need to keep her children learning, but it also means diverting money from other household needs.

For Amina Jibril, another parent affected by the strike, the financial implications of moving her children to private schools have made that option difficult.

She said the persistent closures had disrupted her children’s academic progress, particularly with examinations approaching, but she could not afford to enroll both children in a private school.

She said she had been contemplating engaging a private lesson teacher to keep her children academically active, although the additional expense remains a concern.

Similarly, Emmanuel John said his son’s education had been seriously affected by the prolonged absence of classroom teaching.

John said he had been helping his son revise previously taught subjects at home, but acknowledged that he could not replace the work of professional teachers.

He fears that remaining at home for too long could weaken his son’s reading habits and interest in schoolwork.

Transferring the child to a private school, he added, would involve additional fees that the family had not budgeted for.

John urged the FCT Administration to prioritise education and find permanent solution to prevent further disruptions to the academic calendar.

For many parents, the demand is not simply that schools reopen, but that the conditions responsible for recurring industrial disputes be addressed permanently.

A parent, Haruna Ahmed, who spoke about the disruptions, said the persistent strike actions were setting children back academically while their counterparts in private schools continued learning.

He urged the government and teachers’ unions to explore more sustainable approaches to resolving disagreements, warning that repeated closures could discourage families from relying on public schools.

Another parent described the situation as distressing, saying children who should be in classrooms were instead spending their days at home, with limited access to structured learning.

The parent also expressed concern about the cost of living, arguing that delays in teachers’ promotion and the failure to resolve outstanding entitlements could compound the difficulties faced by educators.

From classrooms to tailoring shops

While some parents are seeking private lessons, others are turning to vocational training as a temporary means of keeping their children occupied.

In Kuje, Mr Musa Ibrahim said he had taken his two children, who are in Junior Secondary School Two (JSS2) and Junior Secondary School Three (JSS3), to a tailoring shop because he could not afford a lesson teacher.

He said the decision was a response to the immediate circumstances rather than a replacement for their formal education.

His concern is that the children could spend weeks at home without meaningful academic activities if the strike continues.

Ibrahim wants the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, the NLC and the relevant area council authorities to permanently resolve the disagreement over the vacancy issue and facilitate the resumption of classes.

For him, vocational training offers the children an opportunity to acquire practical skills while they wait, but he remains concerned about the lessons they are missing.

Another parent, Grace Orji, said the strike had become a major challenge for her family because she has three children in public schools who now spend much of their time at home.

For Fatima, a Senior Secondary School Two (SS2) student of Government Secondary School, Kabusa in the Federal Capital Territory, the days that should have been spent revising lessons and preparing for examinations have become an uncertain stretch of staying at home.

According to her, she spent much of her time at home, occasionally watching television and attempting to revise notes from lessons taught before the industrial action.

For Fatima, the concern is not simply the number of days lost but what the disruption could mean for her academic performance and preparation for future examinations.

Philemon David, a Junior Secondary School 3 student in Kuje, said the closure had interrupted his preparation for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

He said though his parents arranged a lesson teacher, the experience does not compare with attending regular classes.

He appealed to the FCT Administration and the NLC to permanently resolve the dispute so that students could return to their classrooms.

For students in examination classes, the uncertainty creates additional pressure. And even when schools eventually reopen, teachers may have to cover missed topics within a shorter period, leaving students struggling to understand lessons and prepare adequately.

How to end teachers’ strike in FCT – NUT chairman

The chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter, Comrade Abdullahi Mohammed Shafas, said the persistent strikes by teachers in the territory can only be resolved permanently if the government honours agreements with workers, addresses their welfare and removes administrative barriers to career progression.

Shafas, who spoke against the backdrop of repeated industrial actions in the FCT, said the government must recognise that teachers’ welfare and the quality of education were closely connected.

He argued that the strikes were not deliberately aimed at disrupting academic activities but were a response to unresolved demands, including promotion issues, inadequate welfare and the government’s failure to address conditions affecting effective teaching.

According to him, the government must move beyond making promises whenever workers embark on strikes and establish a system that ensures agreements reached with unions are implemented promptly.

“When you are in a social contract with somebody, you have agreed to take care of his welfare. The person you employ to work for you is doing his work, and you are supposed to pay him,” he said.

He added that the government’s failure to implement agreed entitlements, respond to changing economic realities and address other challenges facing teachers would continue to generate tension in the education sector.

“What I think the government should do is wake up quickly and begin to source for ways of addressing these issues. We live in a dynamic society where there are changes, increases and innovations,” he said.

The NUT chairman also faulted the government’s position on teachers’ promotion, particularly the requirement for vacancies before some teachers could advance in their careers, describing it as inappropriate for workers whose primary responsibility was classroom teaching.

He said teachers posted to rural communities and other underserved areas of the FCT should not be denied career progression simply because there were no vacancies in their locations.

Shafas argued that teachers should be assessed and promoted based on their professional responsibilities and applicable career progression rules rather than administrative bottlenecks that could undermine their motivation.

He also questioned the government’s argument that there were too many teachers, asking why it would recruit workers without making adequate provisions for their welfare and career progression.

The NUT chairman also dismissed allegations by the FCT administration that the recent strike was politically motivated and intended to damage the government’s image.

He accused the FCT Minister of attempting to evade responsibility by attributing the industrial action to politics rather than addressing the issues raised by the union.

FCTA says Wike ordered suspension of action on teachers’ promotion dispute

Efforts to get the reaction of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to the recurring teachers’ strike and the way out proved abortive.

When contacted, the Mandate Secretary of the Education Secretariat in the FCTA, Dalami Hayyo said issues relating to teachers have been handed over to the FCT Head Office as directed by the minister.

Hayyo said the file containing the complaints of the FCT chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) had been forwarded to the Office of the Head of Service, headed by Nancy Nathan, following a directive from FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

Efforts to get the FCT Head of Service, Nancy Nathan were not successful as she was yet to respond to message sent across to her.

However, in a letter dated September 29, 2026, Nathan had informed the union that Wike had directed a stay of action on the issues raised.

According to the letter, the minister also directed that the disputed matters be stepped down immediately and that the FCT Civil Service Commission reschedule the 2025 promotion examination for affected education officers.

Nathan further conveyed the minister’s commitment to addressing other outstanding issues raised by the union.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had in April stepped into the then teachers’ strike in the FCT, directing the immediate payment of outstanding allowances and emoluments to affected teachers.

He expressed concern over the handling of teachers’ demands by the six area councils.

Unfortunately, there have been some lapses as the council chairmen were not invited,” Wike said. “It would not be proper to hold such a crucial meeting without those directly affected.”

He revealed that he had personally presided over several meetings on the issue and had constituted a committee to address unpaid teachers’ allowances.

In what he described as a decisive intervention, Wike said he intercepted Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) allocations meant for the area councils and directed the treasury to ensure direct disbursement of funds to settle outstanding obligations.

Wike reiterated that the payment of primary school teachers’ salaries and allowances remained the responsibility of area councils, adding that the FCT Administration had to intervene to halt disruption of the education system in the FCT.

I have repeatedly emphasised that education is vital and continuous strike will only negatively affect our children”, he said.

‘FCT teachers’ strikes will swell out-of-school population’

An educationist, Malam Yussuff Oriyomi, said persistent strikes by teachers in the Federal Capital Territory were increasing the number of out-of-school children, disrupting learning and undermining efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Oriyomi, who is the chairman of the FCT Association of Model Islamic Schools (AMIS) and founder of Voyage International Schools, Abuja, said prolonged school closures had far-reaching consequences for pupils, teachers and the education sector.

He said experience had shown that some pupils failed to return to school after lengthy strikes, while others became distracted by farming, early marriage and other activities.

“The impact of persistent school closures is obvious for everyone to see. It increases the population of our out-of-school children, causes learning decline and de-motivates educators and learners, among many other unfortunate consequences,” he noted.

He added that even pupils who eventually returned to school often struggled to catch up because they had forgotten lessons taught before the disruptions.

“Not all the pupils return to the classroom after a lengthy strike. Some are married off or gone into businesswhile while others stay back on the farm, among many other distractions.

“Even the returning pupils have forgotten many of the previous lessons taught, thus retarding their academic progress,” he said.

Oriyomi urged the FCT Administration to engage with leaders of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to address the grievances behind the recurring industrial actions.

He said sustained dialogue and timely resolution of teachers’ demands were necessary to prevent repeated school closures and ensure uninterrupted learning.

“I want to encourage the government to engage with the NUT leaders in the FCT so that the causes of the strikes can be addressed and it will become a thing of the past,” he advised.

The education expert said access to quality education remained central to Nigeria’s development aspirations, warning that repeated disruptions could undermine progress towards the SDGs.

Another educationist, Mr Japheth Okonkwo, criticised the recurring strikes by FCT teachers, describing them as unnecessary and embarrassing for the country’s capital.

He said the frequent disruptions to academic activities raised concerns about the FCT Administration’s commitment to resolving the challenges facing the education sector.

“It is embarrassing that Abuja, where the seat of government is located, would always witness incessant strikes by teachers without the government making moves to nip it in the bud,” he lamented, adding that the recurring industrial actions suggest that the government is paying lip service to the education sector.