FCT primary school teachers suspend three-month strike, resume July 9
Primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have officially called off their strike, which lasted for more than three months, following the partial payment of their outstanding entitlements.
The decision to return to classrooms was announced by the FCT Wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in a communique issued in Abuja on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.
The strike began on March 24, 2025, in protest against the non-payment of minimum wage arrears and other unresolved welfare matters. The teachers are scheduled to resume work today, July 9.
Although he is not directly responsible for paying primary school teachers’ salaries, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, played a significant role in resolving the prolonged strike through active mediation and engagement with key stakeholders.
According to the leadership of the NUT, Mr. Wike convened a high-level meeting on July 3, bringing together stakeholders such as the House Committee on FCT, the House Committee on FCT Area Councils and Ancillary Matters, the FCT Head of Service, the FCT Permanent Secretary (Treasury), and executives of the NUT.
While the minister clarified that the responsibility for paying primary school teachers lies with the six Area Councils, he acknowledged that these councils were unable to fulfil their obligations due to insufficient financial allocations.
To address the crisis, he approved the release of 10% of the Area Councils’ Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) over six months, amounting to a total of N16 billion, to support payments to the teachers. The intervention included the immediate payment of the June 2025 minimum wage and five months of arrears, which the teachers received on July 8, as well as the establishment of a Special Committee tasked with reconciling the full backlog of arrears and recommending a permanent funding strategy within two weeks.
In recognition of the Minister’s actions and the actual disbursement of funds, the State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) of the union convened an emergency session on July 4 to review the proposals. After what the union described as thorough discussions, they resolved to suspend the strike once the funds and partial arrears had been received.
The communique, which was signed by NUT Chairman Abdullahi Shafas, Secretary Margaret Jethro, and Publicity Secretary Ibukun Adekeye, stated that teachers are to return to classrooms from Wednesday, July 9, 2025.
The union also reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing the remainder of the outstanding entitlements, while recognising Mr. Wike’s favourable stance and dedication to enhancing the welfare of teachers.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) public primary school teachers had embarked on the industrial action on March 24, 2025, due to serious concerns over the non-implementation of the N70,000 national minimum wage, unpaid arrears, allowances, and delays in promotion. These grievances highlighted growing frustration among teachers, who felt that, unlike secondary school teachers benefiting from recent wage reforms, their primary school counterparts were being overlooked.
Prior to the release of the N16 billion intervention fund that helped end the strike, the FCT Minister had earlier approved a disbursement of N4.1 billion to the six Area Councils. This earlier fund was specifically intended to support the payment of the new minimum wage and related arrears for council workers, including primary school teachers.
Mr. Wike urged the Area Councils to ensure that these funds were utilised promptly and with transparency to meet the salary obligations owed to their employees.
