Public schools, hospitals and government services have been shut down as the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, declared an indefinite strike in Abuja over unresolved disputes involving the promotion and career progression of teachers.
The strike takes effect from Wednesday, October 7, 2026, following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCT Administration.
The directive followed the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on September 8, 2026, demanding the resolution of long-standing welfare disputes affecting FCT teachers.
In a communique signed by the NLC FCT Council Chairman, Comrade Knabayi S. Adalo, the union rejected the FCTA’s response to the ultimatum, describing it as “ambiguous, dismissive and totally unacceptable.”
At the centre of the dispute is the FCTA’s implementation of a “vacancy clause,” which conditions teachers’ promotions on the availability of vacancies.
The NLC argued that teachers are recruited specifically by the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (FCT UBEB) and the FCT Secondary Education Board (FCT SEB) to teach, making them distinct from core civil servants or pool staff.
The union insists that vacancy-based promotion schemes applied to pool officers lead to severe career stagnation and demoralisation among educators.
