Public primary and secondary schools across the Federal Capital Territory have shut down as teachers commenced an indefinite strike on Monday, April 20, 2026.
The directive was issued by the Nigeria Union of Teachers, FCT Wing, following an emergency meeting of its State Wing Executive Council held in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
In a communiqué obtained by The Nigeria Education News, the union directed all teachers in public schools to withdraw their services and remain at home until further notice.
The union also advised parents to keep their children at home, noting that academic activities in public schools would be suspended for the duration of the strike.
The action comes after the expiration of earlier ultimatums issued to the FCT administration, including a seven-day notice and an additional 28-day grace period, which the union said elapsed without any response from authorities.
While acknowledging the implementation of the seventy thousand naira minimum wage and the payment of nine months’ salary arrears to primary school teachers, the union maintained that several issues remain unresolved.
Top among its demands is the release and implementation of a ministerial committee report submitted in August 2025. The committee, set up in July 2025, was mandated to address outstanding entitlements and recommend lasting solutions to recurring disputes, but its report has yet to be made public.
The union also raised concerns over salary disparities, promotion conditions, and called for a review of the 2024 promotion exercise conducted by the FCT Civil Service Commission.
Findings by The Nigeria Education News showed that public schools across the FCT were largely shut, with classrooms empty as teachers complied with the strike directive.
The union attributed the industrial action to what it described as continued silence from authorities, insisting that the strike will continue until its demands are fully addressed.
