The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) is preparing to deliver a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), demanding urgent resolution to the ongoing teachers’ strike and the broader breakdown in the primary education system across Abuja’s area councils.
According to Abdulsalam Haruna, coordinator of the FCT LEA Teachers Forum, the ultimatum follows months of unresolved grievances and the lack of response from the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to a joint resolution submitted on May 19, 2025 by the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
Haruna, speaking with BusinessDay, said the NLC’s State Executive Council convened on May 29 and reached a unanimous decision to give the FCTA a final window to address the protracted dispute or risk a total shutdown of services across the capital territory.
“This strike, now dragging into its third month, has completely paralysed primary education in the FCT,” Haruna said. “The NLC is stepping in to demand action, and if nothing is done within seven days, a full-scale industrial action across all area councils is inevitable.”
As the situation escalates, members of affiliated unions — including NUT, NULGE, and other labour bodies — have been placed on alert for further action should the FCTA fail to meet the deadline.
Observers note that this is more than a salary dispute. Teachers are highlighting long-standing structural issues: delayed wages, broken promises on minimum wage arrears, poor learning environments, and neglect from local authorities.
Isaac Ityav, commenting on the crisis, likened the teachers’ ongoing demonstrations to a form of liberation struggle.
“When teachers barricade government offices, it’s not just protest — it’s a desperate call for dignity,” Ityav noted. “They’re not just fighting for pay; they’re fighting to escape a system that has failed them repeatedly.”
The impasse has become emblematic of broader governance challenges within the FCT, particularly around overlapping responsibilities between the area councils and the FCTA, leaving many educators feeling trapped in a cycle of neglect and blame-shifting.
Many say the continuous strikes are a reaction to “institutional abandonment,” worsened by dilapidated infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, and unmet agreements.
As tension mounts, stakeholders in the education and labour sectors are watching closely to see how the FCTA responds — and whether the looming strike will be averted in time.
