The Nigeria Labour Congress, Federal Capital Territory Council, has declared an indefinite strike across the nation’s capital over unresolved issues surrounding the promotion and redeployment of teachers.
The directive followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Capital Territory Administration, with the labour body ordering workers in both public and private sectors to withdraw their services from Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
The decision was contained in a communiqué issued after the council’s State Executive Council meeting on Monday and signed by its chairman, Knabayi Adalo. The NLC described the FCTA’s response to its demands as unacceptable and insufficient to resolve the dispute.
The union directed its affiliate organisations to mobilise members for full compliance, while enforcement committees would be constituted across the territory to ensure the strike was observed.
Under the directive, government offices, schools, hospitals and other public establishments in the FCT are expected to remain closed until the issues in dispute are resolved.
The NLC had issued the ultimatum on September 8, demanding, among other things, the removal of the vacancy requirement for the promotion of FCT teachers. It also requested that teachers who became due for promotion in 2025 be allowed to take their promotion examinations alongside or ahead of the 2026 candidates.
The labour union further demanded the reversal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors covered by the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022, as well as changes in the management of the FCT State Education Board and FCT Universal Basic Education Board.
According to the NLC, failure by the FCTA to address the vacancy clause had left many teachers facing prolonged career stagnation and frustration. It argued that teachers, who are employed primarily for classroom duties, should not be subjected to promotion conditions designed for general civil service pool officers.
The council warned that the industrial action would be total and indefinite, while urging the FCTA to resolve the dispute. It also appealed to parents, civil society groups and other stakeholders to intervene, stressing that workers participating in the strike must not be victimised.
