FCT teachers end strike as govt meets key demands

The Nigeria Union of Teachers in the Federal Capital Territory has suspended the strike embarked upon by primary and secondary school teachers, directing them to return to classrooms with immediate effect.

The decision was announced on Sunday in Gwagwalada by the Chairman of the State Wing Executive Council, Abdullahi Shafa, during a press conference.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Shafa said the suspension followed an emergency meeting convened by the union to assess recent developments, particularly the intervention of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, in the dispute, which began on April 20, 2026.

He disclosed that the minister had made financial commitments aimed at addressing the teachers’ demands.

“The minister approved the release of N2bn monthly from FCT Internally Generated Revenue, plus N3bn from the 10 per cent IGR accruing to the area councils, to implement the 40 per cent peculiar allowance and settle outstanding entitlements of primary school teachers,” Shafa said.

According to him, the minister also pledged to tackle issues surrounding teachers’ promotions.

He noted that the minister had promised to engage the Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission to eliminate the vacancy requirement for promotions and to review the 2024 promotion exercise.

Shafa stated that, based on resolutions reached with stakeholders, the union had instructed all affected teachers to resume duties on Monday, April 27.

He added that the union had secured assurances that no teacher would face victimisation for participating in the strike. However, he warned that the council would not hesitate to reconsider its position if the FCT administration failed to fulfil its commitments.

The SWEC chairman commended teachers for their unity and resilience throughout the industrial action and reaffirmed the council’s commitment to improving working conditions for educators in the FCT.

The strike began on April 20, 2026, following a directive issued after an emergency meeting of the union in Gwagwalada, where the State Wing Executive Council ordered teachers across the FCT to withdraw their services indefinitely.

The union said the action became necessary after the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to Wike over unresolved welfare and policy issues affecting teachers.

While acknowledging the government’s payment of the new minimum wage and some salary arrears, the union maintained that several demands remained unmet, including the implementation of a committee report on teachers’ welfare, promotion concerns, and other outstanding entitlements.