FCT Teachers Begin Indefinite Strike, Schools Shut Across Territory
Public primary and secondary schools across the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have been shut following the commencement of an indefinite strike by teachers.
The industrial action began on Tuesday after the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, FCT Council directed teachers to withdraw their services over unresolved welfare and promotion issues.
The strike followed the expiration of an ultimatum issued by the labour union to the relevant authorities to address the concerns raised by teachers.
Among the major demands is the removal of the vacancy requirement for teachers seeking promotion within the FCT education system.
The teachers are also demanding that those who were due for promotion in 2025 be allowed to sit for their promotion examinations alongside the 2026 candidates.
The NLC further called for the withdrawal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to some directors under the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act 2022.
It also demanded the dissolution of the management teams of the Secondary Education Board and Universal Basic Education Board in the territory.
The labour union wants affected officials reinstated as part of efforts to resolve the dispute and restore normalcy to the education sector.
The strike affected schools in several parts of the FCT, including Abaji, Kwali, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Idu-Koro.
The development left parents worried about the impact of the industrial action on their children’s education, particularly as no immediate end date was announced.
However, the Association of Senior Staff of Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in Nigeria, ASUSS, dissociated itself from the strike.
The association described the action as premature and directed secondary school teachers and education officers under its structure to report for work.
ASUSS maintained that the vacancy requirement for promotion was backed by existing regulations and should not be removed through industrial action.
The disagreement has further widened the uncertainty surrounding the operation of public schools in the nation’s capital.
Parents are now waiting for the authorities and labour unions to resolve the dispute and allow students to return to their classrooms.
The FCT teachers’ strike comes amid continuing concerns over promotion, career progression and working conditions within Nigeria’s public education system.
