Academic activities have been disrupted across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) commenced an indefinite strike over the promotion and career progression of teachers.
Several schools visited in Abuja were shut, with students sent home as the industrial action took effect.
The FCT NLC Council declared the strike following a prolonged dispute with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) over the promotion and welfare of teachers.
The union had issued an ultimatum to the FCTA on September 8, 2026, demanding the resolution of outstanding issues affecting teachers in the territory.
At the centre of the dispute is the FCTA’s implementation of a vacancy clause, which makes the promotion of teachers subject to the availability of vacancies.
The NLC argued that the arrangement had resulted in career stagnation and demoralisation among teachers.
The union said teachers recruited by the FCT Universal Basic Education Board and the FCT Secondary Education Board were employed specifically to teach and should not be treated in the same manner as core civil servants or pool officers.
It maintained that vacancy-based promotion was applicable to pool officers and should not be used to restrict the career progression of teachers.
The strike has forced affected schools to suspend academic activities, leaving parents and students uncertain about when normal lessons will resume.
A parent who spoke on the development accused the government of paying insufficient attention to education funding, describing teachers’ strikes as a recurring problem in the FCT and other parts of the country.
The NLC’s action is expected to continue until the outstanding issues between the union and the FCTA are resolved.
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