The Federal Capital Territory Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared an indefinite strike in Abuja over unresolved issues concerning the promotion and career progression of teachers in the FCT.
The industrial action begins on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
The NLC had issued the ultimatum on September 8, 2026, demanding that the FCTA address what it described as long-standing welfare concerns affecting teachers across the nation’s capital.
The labour council said the decision to commence the strike followed the failure to resolve the disputes within the stipulated period.
The affected issues reportedly include the implementation of promotions and career progression for FCT teachers, among other welfare-related concerns.
The strike is expected to affect teaching activities in public schools across the Federal Capital Territory as the NLC presses the FCTA to address the outstanding demands.
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 teacher promotions on available 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 insisted that vacancy-based promotion schemes applied to pool officers, noting that the practice had led to severe career stagnation and demoralisation for educators.
