Teachers and students of LEA Ijayapi Primary School and LEA Byazhin Primary School, both under the Abuja Municipal Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, complied with the directive to embark on an indefinite strike as ordered by the Nigeria Union of Teachers in the FCT.
A visit by our correspondent to the schools at about 7:55 a.m. on Monday revealed that the premises were deserted, with no teachers or pupils in sight. Classrooms were locked, and both windows and doors remained shut.
The State Wing Executive Council of the NUT had directed primary and secondary school teachers across the FCT to begin the industrial action on Monday.
The directive was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of an emergency SWEC meeting held in Gwagwalada, Abuja, on Friday.
The communiqué was jointly signed by the State Chairman, Abdullahi Shafa; the State Secretary, Margaret Jethro; and the State Publicity Secretary, Ibukun Adekeye.
In the communiqué, made available to newsmen in Abuja over the weekend, the union instructed teachers to fully comply with the strike directive and await further instructions.
Parents were also advised to keep their children and wards at home until further notice, as teachers would remain off duty until their demands are met.
The union explained that the decision followed a review of the seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, on March 11, which expired on March 29.
While appreciating the minister for implementing the N70,000 minimum wage and paying nine months’ arrears owed to primary school teachers, the union expressed concern that other outstanding issues remained unresolved.
It recalled that the minister had earlier constituted a committee on July 7, 2025, to harmonise all outstanding entitlements of primary school teachers and recommend lasting solutions to recurring industrial disputes.
Although the committee submitted its report in August 2025, the union noted that it had not yet been made public or implemented.
According to the union, the ultimatum became necessary due to the delay in implementing the committee’s recommendations and the continued silence on teachers’ welfare amid prevailing economic challenges.
Among its demands, the union called for the release and implementation of the committee’s report, the removal of the “vacancies” condition tied to teachers’ promotion, and a comprehensive review of the 2024 promotion exercise conducted by the FCT Civil Service Commission.
The SWEC expressed dissatisfaction that even after the expiration of the ultimatum and an additional 28-day grace period, there had been no meaningful response from the authorities.
Consequently, the union resolved that all public primary and secondary school teachers in the FCT should proceed on an indefinite strike until their demands are addressed.
“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 said.