FCT teachers to decide on strike following meeting with Wike

The Nigeria Union of Teachers, Federal Capital Territory Wing, is expected to determine the fate of its ongoing strike after a high-level meeting with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday.

Although the union described the talks as productive and acknowledged what it called “ministerial commitment” to addressing long-standing grievances, it said the industrial action remains in place as leaders will return to their headquarters for further deliberations.

The Chairman of the NUT FCT Wing, Abdulahi Shafa, told journalists that the union would consult its members before taking any final decision on the strike.

“We will go back to the house and look at what has been discussed with the minister and know the next line of action,” he stressed.

Shafa said the meeting focused on key challenges affecting teachers across primary, junior, and senior secondary schools, including unpaid allowances, inadequate staffing, and the responsibilities of Area Councils in funding basic education.

“It was a very fruitful meeting. The minister has promised immediate action on the issues we raised—some of which he was previously not fully aware of,” he said.

The chairman added that discussions also covered broader efforts to improve school infrastructure and administration in the FCT.

“We appreciate the minister. He is into renovations and restructuring some of our schools, which is a pathway. The rights of our members are being discussed and being settled,” he pointed out.

Shafa noted that concerns are more pronounced at the primary school level, particularly regarding staff welfare and entitlements.

“The only area where we have greater problems is the primary school level, where there are shortcomings in rights and entitlements,” he said.

Meanwhile, the FCT Administration said it has taken steps to address funding challenges in basic education.

Wike said he had redirected Internally Generated Revenue allocations from Area Councils to ensure direct payment of teachers’ allowances, describing the move as part of efforts to address what he called the councils’ “sole responsibility” to basic education workers.

The union is expected to reconvene after its internal consultations and announce its final position in the coming days.

The strike commenced on Monday following a directive issued after an emergency meeting of the union held in Gwagwalada over the weekend, where the State Wing Executive Council ordered teachers across the FCT to withdraw their services indefinitely.

According to the union, the action became necessary after the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum earlier issued to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, over unresolved welfare and policy issues affecting teachers.

While acknowledging the government’s payment of the new minimum wage and some salary arrears, the union insisted that several demands remain unattended, including the implementation of a committee report on teachers’ welfare, promotion-related concerns, and other outstanding entitlements.