The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared an indefinite strike across the nation’s capital over unresolved issues concerning the welfare and promotion of teachers.
The industrial action is scheduled to commence on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, with the union directing workers in both the public and private sectors to withdraw their services.
The decision followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on September 8 over what the labour body described as outstanding welfare concerns affecting teachers.
In a communiqué signed by the FCT NLC Chairman, Comrade Knabayi S. Adalo, the council rejected the FCTA’s response to its demands, describing it as “ambiguous, dismissive and totally unacceptable.”
One of the major issues behind the dispute is the implementation of a “vacancy clause” by the FCTA, which makes teachers’ promotion dependent on the availability of vacant positions.
The NLC argued that such a condition was inappropriate because teachers were recruited specifically by the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) and the FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB) to teach.
According to the union, subjecting teachers to the same promotion arrangement applicable to core civil servants or pool officers could leave workers stuck on the same grade for extended periods and negatively affect their morale.
The NLC therefore demanded the immediate removal of the vacancy clause as a requirement for teachers seeking promotion.
It also called for eligible 2025 candidates to be permitted to take their promotion examinations alongside, or ahead of, candidates scheduled for 2026.
The union further demanded the withdrawal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors covered by the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022.
Another demand is the dissolution and subsequent reinstatement of the management teams of the FCT SEB and UBEB.
Following the failure to resolve the issues, the NLC directed its affiliate unions and workers across schools, hospitals, offices and government establishments to join the strike from October 7 and remain off duty until the demands are addressed.
The union has also directed its enforcement committees to mobilise workers and monitor compliance throughout the FCT.
Explaining the position of the labour council, Adalo insisted that teachers should not be subjected to a promotion system designed for pool officers.
“Teachers are not core civil servants nor pool staff and cannot be subjected to vacancy-based promotion meant for pool officers,” he said.
He added, “The FCTA’s attempt to sustain industrial harmony without addressing injustice is mere wishful thinking. There can be no peace without justice.”
The NLC subsequently appealed to parents, residents and civil society groups across the FCT to support the industrial action.
It warned that failure by the authorities to resolve the dispute could lead to what it described as a “total collapse” of the education sector in the territory.
