July 9, 2025
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary school teachers have resumed having officially suspended their over three-month strike after the partial meeting of their demands.
The FCT Wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in a communique released in Abuja, announced the decision to return to classrooms on July 9, 2025
Public primary school teachers in the FCT had initiated an industrial protest on March 24, 2025, over deep concerns regarding the non-implementation of the N70,000 national minimum wage, outstanding arrears, allowances, and promotion delays, whereas their secondary school counterparts were benefitting from wage reforms.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, though not directly responsible for the payment of primary school teachers’ salaries, was instrumental in resolving the prolonged strike.
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NUT leadership, said Mr. Wike convened a high powered meeting on July 3 of stakeholders which included the House Committee on FCT, the House Committee on FCT Area Councils and Ancillary Matters, the FCT Head of Service, FCT Permanent Secretary (Treasury), and executives of the NUT.
The minister who clarified that the responsibility for primary school teachers’ salaries rests with the six Area Councils, however, blamed the inability to meet payment obligations on inadequate financial allocations.
Wike, approved the release of 10% of the councils’ six-month Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) a total of N16 billion to augment the teachers’ salaries as well as the immediate payment of the June 2025 minimum wage and five months of arrears.
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The constitution of a Special Committee tasked with harmonising the full backlog of arrears and proposing a permanent funding strategy within two weeks.
In response to the Minister’s effort and actual disbursement of funds, the State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) of the union held an emergency session on July 4 to deliberate on the offers. After what the union described as exhaustive deliberations, they resolved to suspend the strike upon receipt of the funds and partial arrears payment which they received on July 8.
The communique, signed by NUT Chairman Abdullahi Shafas, Secretary Margaret Jethro, and Publicity Secretary Ibukun Adekeye, stated that teachers are to return to the classroom from Wednesday, July 9, 2025.
