For 86 agonizing days, over 400 public primary schools in Nigeria’s capital have remained shut, leaving thousands of pupils stranded. Now, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is threatening to bring the entire Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to a halt.
The FCT wing of the NLC has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to resolve the ongoing education crisis or face a total shutdown of government offices and services across Abuja.
This growing standoff, triggered by unpaid minimum wage arrears and broken agreements, has forced teachers onto the streets—and children out of classrooms. The silence from the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, has only intensified the rage.
“When teachers barricade government offices, it’s not just a protest—it’s a cry for freedom from a system that has failed them,” said Isaac Ityav, reacting to the deadlock.
NLC Accuses Wike of Silence and Neglect
The NLC, through a letter signed by its FCT Chairperson Stephen Knabayi, said multiple appeals to the FCT Administration—dated April 24 and May 16, 2025—were ignored. The union is furious that the tripartite agreement reached in December 2024 between NUT, NULGE, ALGON, and FCTA has been treated with contempt.
The agreement had promised:
- Immediate payment of the new ₦70,000 minimum wage by January 2025
- Settlement of five months’ salary arrears
- Allocation of 50% of Area Councils’ Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to staff welfare
Despite the establishment of an implementation committee chaired by Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, none of these terms have been honoured.
Teachers Speak of Betrayal, Hunger, and Dignity Lost
Abdulsalam Haruna, Coordinator at the FCT LEA Teachers Forum, told SparkMedia Africa that teachers feel like prisoners.
“We’ve been forced to beg for what is rightfully ours. The government’s negligence has turned classrooms into ghost towns and teachers into protesters.”
He accused the FCTA and Area Councils of playing a “blame game” while teachers and students suffer. “This ‘no-landlord’ situation—where no one takes responsibility—has caged us in a system of decay,” he said.
A City on the Brink
The NLC’s executive council met on May 29 and resolved to give the FCTA seven days to act—or watch the entire city grind to a halt. If by Thursday, June 19, the demands are not met, expect massive picketing of government offices, streets blocked by protesters, and a paralyzed capital.
This isn’t just a labour issue anymore. It’s a moral reckoning for a city where pupils wander aimlessly and teachers beg for survival.
Will Wike finally break the silence? Or will Abuja burn under the weight of its broken promises?
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