Enough of strikes by FCT teachers
The recent strike by teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) once again underscores the half-hearted management of the education sector by the authorities. On April 20, 2026, members of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT chapter, downed tools over a litany of grievances: the non-implementation of the 2025 ministerial committee report on primary […]
The recent strike by teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) once again underscores the half-hearted management of the education sector by the authorities. On April 20, 2026, members of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT chapter, downed tools over a litany of grievances: the non-implementation of the 2025 ministerial committee report on primary school teachers’ entitlements, delayed payment of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance, unresolved arrears, and the controversial “vacancy” requirement that has stalled promotions. Although the intervention of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, with a N5 billion monthly allocation and promises of reform led to the suspension of the strike on April 26, it is troubling that government departments only act when teachers resort to industrial action.
From the onset, we strongly condemn the nonchalant attitude of the six area councils of the FCT—Abuja Municipal (AMAC), Abaji, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali—over their disdain for education. Evidently, the children of those at the helm of affairs in these councils are not attending any of the public schools in their domains.
The strike last week would not be the first by FCT teachers over poor welfare. Last year, from March 2025 to July 2025—a period of 107 days—primary school teachers under the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) were on industrial action over the non-payment of minimum wage, salary arrears, and other welfare concerns. Parents bore the brunt of it all, as pupils idled at home during that period until the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, decided to release and pay into teachers’ accounts N16 billion in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), representing five months of arrears. When salaries are delayed, promotions are ignored, and welfare packages are promised but not delivered, workers have little choice but to withdraw their services.
The consequences of the strike for Nigerians living in the FCT are devastating. Children are denied education, patients face delays in accessing healthcare, businesses dependent on government approvals stall, and residents endure deteriorating sanitation. Abuja, meant to symbolise Nigeria’s strength, is reduced to dysfunction because its administrators cannot manage basic labour relations. While the bulk of the blame for these failures should go to the area councils, it is shocking that the Minister of the FCT—who has received accolades for infrastructure development in the territory under his watch in the last two years—would ignore the need to wield the big stick and rein in local authorities, even as he continues to pay lip service to the welfare of workers whose sweat makes the difference in service delivery in the FCT.
Apart from teachers, in January 2026, the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC)—an umbrella body representing all trade unions and categories of workers within the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) in Abuja—embarked on a strike that hampered the provision of social services in the FCT. The strike, which started on January 19, 2026, lasted for more than two weeks.
Like the NUT, FCT workers embarked on that strike over unpaid salaries, promotion arrears, and poor working conditions. The FCT has no excuse for not meeting the welfare needs of its workers. Apart from the allocations it receives from the Federation Account, the FCTA has been exempted from the fiscal policy under the Treasury Single Account (TSA). Under this arrangement, all IGRs of the FCT do not need to go into the TSA before their release to the administration. No doubt, the FCT’s IGR is massive enough to accommodate the welfare needs of its civil servants, considering the diverse sources of revenue available to the administration. The FCTA cannot advance any genuine excuse for its sloppy treatment of its civil servants.
We fear that the neglect of the plight of workers is a consequence of the many political activities that have divided the attention of the minister. Wike seems to have too many irons in the fire; hence, he is not giving enough attention to the welfare of FCT workers. Apart from the challenges of running a sophisticated city like the FCT, Wike has his eyes on the administration of Rivers State, the politics of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the turn of events in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State and at its national headquarters in Abuja, and the political intrigues unfolding ahead of the 2027 power game. With his attention divided, Wike has begun to fall behind in his primary responsibility of administering the FCT. No other evidence outweighs the neglect of civil servants whose industrial action brought the FCT to its knees before the minister gave them his ear.
The strikes have become too embarrassing, not only for FCT residents but also for the federal government, whose institutions are domiciled in Abuja. Waiting until classrooms are shut before addressing a legitimate welfare concern is not only disruptive to learning but also erodes trust in governance. The city is too important to be left in the hands of a politician with divided attention. The federal government must intervene to ensure labour disputes are resolved. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must call Wike to order and insist that he pay attention to his primary assignment of providing leadership in the FCT.