Public schools in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have reopened following the suspension of a week-long strike by primary and secondary school teachers under the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT chapter.
The union announced the suspension on Sunday after a meeting to review recent developments, including the intervention of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
|
|
Following the directive, teachers resumed duties on Monday after the FCT Administration made commitments to address key demands, including ongoing verification processes and the payment of outstanding entitlements.
Disruption and underlying grievances
The strike began shortly before the resumption of the third academic term, forcing the closure of public schools across the FCT just as pupils were expected to return to classrooms on 20 April.
|
|
|
|---|
Its suspension and the return to classrooms have again brought to the fore concerns over learning loss, declining enrolment, and unresolved welfare disputes in the territory’s education sector.
The industrial action was triggered by long-standing grievances, including unpaid allowances, promotion arrears, and the failure to implement previous agreements between the government and the union.
Although the strike lasted about a week, it added to a pattern of repeated disruptions that have affected public education in the FCT in recent years.
Recurring disputes
The latest strike is part of a wider pattern of industrial actions by primary school teachers in the FCT over unresolved welfare concerns.
Teachers under the NUT, FCT chapter, have repeatedly embarked on strikes over unpaid salaries, allowances, and promotion arrears, as well as the failure of area councils to implement agreements reached with the union fully.
In 2024, teachers embarked on a strike that lasted about 20 days before it was suspended after Mr Wike’s intervention.
However, the underlying issues remained unresolved, culminating in a more prolonged industrial action in 2025 that kept pupils out of school for about three months.
At the centre of the dispute are demands related to salary structures and entitlements, including the 40 per cent peculiar allowance, promotion benefits, and other outstanding arrears.
The union has also raised concerns about delays in salary adjustments and the failure to release funds for teachers’ welfare.
While the FCT Administration oversees education in the territory, responsibility for paying primary school teachers lies with the six area councils, which have repeatedly cited financial constraints.
To address the situation, Mr Wike approved the use of 10 per cent of the internally generated revenue (IGR) of the area councils to offset outstanding teachers’ salaries and entitlements.
The administration also initiated verification and screening exercises to resolve payroll discrepancies and funding gaps.
Following negotiations, the NUT suspended its most recent strike after the government assured it that some of the demands would be met and payments would commence after verification processes.
The union, however, maintained that the suspension is conditional, warning that teachers could resume industrial action if agreements are not implemented.
A familiar dispute
PREMIUM TIMES sought to capture the human impact of the recurring strikes and found that many educators have faced the same challenges repeatedly over the years.
Rukayat Ahmed, a deputy director at Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School, Zone 2, told PREMIUM TIMES that the latest strike is about the fifth over the same demands in roughly three years.
“The strike has been suspended, and everyone is now back in class. We hope the government fulfils its promises this time because these are the same demands we have been making,” she said.
Ms Ahmed listed key demands, including the 40 per cent peculiar allowance, unpaid arrears, and delayed promotions.
“My last promotion was in 2019 as a deputy director. I’m supposed to be a director, all things being equal. They should give us what is due so we can manage our lives,” she added.
Falling enrolment
Beyond immediate disruption, Ms Ahmed said repeated strikes are driving students away from public schools.
She said there has been a decline in enrolment at her school since she assumed duty.
“When I came, I inherited about 320 pupils. With improvements, it increased to about 420. But the on-and-off strikes changed the narrative. Now, the enrollment we have is less than 250,” she said.
According to her, many parents have moved their children to private schools despite the higher costs.
“When the school becomes stable again, they come back to plead with us to absorb them,” she added, noting that the affordability of public schools is what makes the parents use them as a fallback option.
Students bear the brunt
For students, the strike brought confusion, disruption, and, in some cases, financial loss.
Praise Ubem, a student at Government Secondary School, Zone 3, said the announcement caught many unprepared.
“The strike was not announced in our school group. We heard from other students and online,” she said.
She added that the lack of clear communication left many parents and students uncertain.
“Parents kept asking if they should send their children to school so they wouldn’t waste transport, but there was no response. Some students still went to school on the first day of the strike”.
READ ALSO: Teachers in Abuja begin indefinite strike on Monday
“Those who went that Monday wasted transport, especially those coming from places like Lugbe and Apo Road,” she said.
To cope, she said some students relied on online lessons, particularly in mathematics, to prepare for their Junior WAEC examinations.
Teachers’ solidarity, mixed impact
Oginna Babatunde, an inspectorate director at Government Secondary School, Zone 3, said that although the strike was driven mainly by primary school teachers, secondary school teachers joined in solidarity.
He added that the union remains cautious about government assurances.
“They have made promises before. If this one is not fulfilled, we will go on strike again,” he said.
However, he argued that the impact on some students, particularly those in examination classes, was limited.
“We organise tutorial classes, even on Saturdays. You see SS3 students coming regularly, even during holidays,” he said.
