NLC Declares Indefinite Strike In Abuja Over FCT Teachers’ Welfare

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared a total and indefinite strike across Abuja, directing workers in both the public and private sectors to withdraw their services from Wednesday, October 7, 2026.

The industrial action follows the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued by the labour union to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) over unresolved issues concerning the welfare, promotion and career progression of teachers in the nation’s capital.

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The NLC FCT Council Chairman, Comrade Knabayi S. Adalo, announced the decision in a communique after the union rejected the response received from the FCTA to its demands.

According to the union, the response from the administration was “ambiguous, dismissive and totally unacceptable,” leaving the NLC with no option, in its view, but to commence an indefinite strike.

The seven-day ultimatum was issued on September 8, 2026, following a series of disagreements between the labour movement and the FCT Administration over the implementation of policies affecting teachers employed through the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) and the FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB).

One of the major issues at the centre of the dispute is the implementation of what the NLC described as a “vacancy clause” for the promotion of teachers.

The union argued that teachers were recruited specifically to teach under the FCT UBEB and SEB and should therefore not be subjected to a promotion system designed for core civil servants or pool officers.

According to the NLC, making teachers’ career advancement dependent on the availability of vacancies could leave eligible teachers stagnating on particular salary grades for extended periods.

The union is therefore demanding the immediate removal of the vacancy clause as a condition for teachers’ promotion.

The NLC also demanded that teachers who became eligible for promotion in 2025 should be allowed to sit for the relevant promotion examinations alongside, or before, those eligible in 2026.

Another major demand is the reversal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors who are beneficiaries of the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022.

The union also called for the dissolution and subsequent reinstatement of management teams at the FCT Secondary Education Board and the FCT Universal Basic Education Board.

Following the declaration, the NLC directed all public and private sector workers, including its affiliate unions operating in schools, hospitals, government offices and other establishments, to withdraw their services from October 7 until the union’s demands are addressed.

The union has also directed its enforcement committees to mobilise workers and monitor compliance across the Federal Capital Territory.

Explaining the position of the labour union, Adalo said teachers should not be treated as pool officers when considering promotion and career progression.

“Teachers are not core civil servants nor pool staff and cannot be subjected to vacancy-based promotion meant for pool officers. The FCTA’s attempt to sustain industrial harmony without addressing injustice is mere wishful thinking.

“There can be no peace without justice,” he said.

The NLC urged parents, residents and civil society organisations in the FCT to support the industrial action, warning that failure to resolve the dispute could have serious consequences for the territory’s education sector.

The declaration is expected to affect schools and other public institutions across Abuja, while the directive also covers workers in the private sector who are affiliated with the labour movement.

The development could further disrupt public services in the Federal Capital Territory if the dispute is not resolved quickly, particularly as the NLC has described the action as total and indefinite.

The union’s position is that the strike will continue until the FCTA addresses its demands, while the administration is expected to engage with labour representatives to find a resolution to the dispute.

At the time of the declaration, the FCTA’s detailed response to the NLC’s latest position was not included in the union’s communique.