NLC Begins Indefinite Strike in FCT Over Teachers’ Promotion, Welfare

NLC Begins Indefinite Strike in FCT Over Teachers’ Promotion, Welfare The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Federal Capital Territory Council has commenced an indefinite strike across the Federal Capital Territory following a dispute with the FCT Administration over the promotion, career progression and welfare of teachers. The industrial action began on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, after the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, to resolve the union’s outstanding demands. The NLC FCT Council directed workers in both public and private establishments across the territory to withdraw their services until the issues are addressed. The decision followed a State Executive Council meeting held at Labour House in Abuja on Tuesday, where the union considered the response from the FCTA inadequate. The council said the administration had failed to address what it described as the core issues behind the dispute. Why NLC declared the strike At the centre of the dispute is the application of a vacancy requirement to the promotion of FCT teachers. The NLC argues that teachers should not be subjected to the same vacancy-based promotion system applicable to general pool officers because they were recruited specifically to teach. According to the labour body, making promotion dependent on the availability of vacancies has resulted in career stagnation for teachers who would otherwise be eligible for advancement. The union is demanding the immediate removal of the vacancy clause from the promotion process for FCT teachers. It is also demanding that teachers who were eligible for the 2025 promotion examination but were prevented from taking it should be allowed to sit for the examination alongside eligible candidates for the 2026 exercise. The dispute had been building for weeks before the latest strike declaration. In September, the NLC issued the FCTA a seven-day ultimatum, warning that failure to resolve the issues would result in an indefinite strike. The ultimatum followed earlier protests and disagreements over the promotion examination and career progression of teachers in the territory. Union challenges treatment of education directors Another major issue concerns directors of educational agencies who benefited from the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act, 2022. The NLC wants the withdrawal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to affected directors and their restoration to their previous positions. The union has argued that the 2022 legislation extended the retirement age for teachers to 65 years or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever comes first, and that the affected education officers should not be subjected to policies that undermine those provisions. The National Industrial Court had also ruled in July 2026 on the application of the eight-year tenure policy to teachers and education officers, holding that the policy could not be applied in a manner inconsistent with the 2022 retirement legislation. Fresh reports also indicate that the NLC is demanding changes involving the management of the FCT Secondary Education Board and FCT Universal Basic Education Board. These additional demands were reported by BusinessDay and Tribune but were not detailed in the Punch report. NLC rejects FCTA's response The labour council said the FCTA's response to its ultimatum did not provide a satisfactory solution to the issues raised. The union described the response as inadequate and maintained that the administration had failed to deal with the vacancy clause and the concerns surrounding the affected directors. The NLC said attempts to maintain industrial harmony without resolving what it considers the underlying injustice would not settle the dispute. It consequently directed workers across the FCT to stay away from their duty posts from October 7 until further notice. The directive covers workers in public and private establishments, meaning the industrial action has implications beyond schools. Reports indicate that affiliate unions in hospitals, offices, government agencies and other establishments have also been directed to comply with the strike. Parents, residents urged to bear with workers The NLC appealed to residents of the FCT, particularly parents, to bear with workers during the industrial action. The union also called on civil society organisations and other Nigerians to intervene and encourage the FCT Administration to resolve the dispute. The labour body warned that continued failure to address the teachers' grievances could further affect the education sector in the nation's capital. For now, the strike has been declared total and indefinite, with no end date announced. The FCTA had not publicly announced a resolution to the dispute as of the time of the Punch report. The administration's position on the latest strike declaration therefore remains important to determining the next stage of the disagreement. The immediate impact of the action will depend on the level of compliance by workers and whether negotiations between the NLC and FCTA resume. For the teachers at the centre of the dispute, however, the union's position remains that promotion should not be restricted by vacancies and that eligible teachers must have access to their promotion examinations. Until those issues are resolved, the NLC has directed workers across the FCT to remain away from work.