Public primary and secondary schools across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been thrown into shutdown following the commencement of an indefinite strike by teachers under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT chapter.
On Monday morning, several schools within the territory, including LEA Ijayapi Primary School and LEA Byazhin Primary School, were completely deserted as both teachers and students stayed away in compliance with the union’s directive. By as early as 7:55 a.m., classrooms were observed to be locked, with windows and doors shut and no sign of academic activity, marking a sudden halt in learning across affected institutions.
The strike action follows a directive issued by the Executive Council of the NUT FCT chapter after an emergency State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) meeting held in Gwagwalada on Friday. At the end of the meeting, the union instructed all teachers in public primary and secondary schools across the FCT to withdraw their services indefinitely, citing unresolved welfare issues and government inaction on long-standing demands.
In the communiqué released after the meeting, the union directed full compliance from all members and urged teachers to remain at home pending further instructions. It also advised parents and guardians to keep their children and wards away from school to avoid unnecessary disruption or safety concerns during the industrial action.
According to the NUT, the decision to embark on the strike was reached after a review of a seven-day ultimatum previously issued to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory on March 11. The union said that despite engagement and initial expectations, critical issues affecting teachers’ welfare remained unaddressed.
While acknowledging the implementation of the new national minimum wage of ₦70,000 by the FCT Administration as a positive step, the teachers’ union maintained that several other demands remain unresolved, necessitating the escalation of industrial action.
The union explained that the strike was not taken lightly but was a last resort after what it described as prolonged silence and lack of satisfactory response from the authorities regarding the welfare of teachers. It stressed that the continued neglect of key demands had made it impossible for educators to continue teaching under current conditions.
“After exhaustive deliberations on the industrial issues and the silence on the legitimate demands of teachers’ welfare, the Council resolved that all public primary and secondary school teachers in the FCT shall, with effect from Monday, proceed on an indefinite strike until our demands are met,” the union stated in its communiqué.
The NUT further expressed disappointment over what it described as the slow pace of dialogue and resolution, insisting that teachers play a critical role in national development and should not be subjected to poor working conditions or delayed entitlements.
As a result of the strike, learning activities in many public schools across the FCT have been brought to a standstill, raising concerns among parents and education stakeholders about the impact on pupils, especially those preparing for examinations.
Some parents who visited schools early on Monday expressed shock at the complete absence of academic activity, noting that they had not received prior personal notifications beyond general announcements. Others called on both the union and the government to urgently resolve the dispute in order to minimise disruption to the academic calendar.
Education analysts have also warned that prolonged strike action in basic education could have far-reaching consequences on learning outcomes, school attendance, and student performance, particularly in foundational classes.
Meanwhile, the FCT Administration is expected to engage with the teachers’ union in a bid to resolve the outstanding issues and restore normal academic activities. However, as of the time of filing this report, no official statement had been issued by the FCT authorities regarding the strike or the next line of action.
The situation remains fluid, with both parties expected to explore negotiations in the coming days as pressure mounts to reopen schools and return pupils to classrooms.
For now, thousands of students across the Federal Capital Territory remain at home as the indefinite strike continues, leaving the future of academic activities uncertain until a resolution is reached between the government and the striking teachers.
