Public school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory will begin an indefinite strike on Monday, April 20, 2026, as the Nigeria Union of Teachers declares a full withdrawal of services over long-standing welfare demands that have gone unaddressed.
The State Wing Executive Council of the NUT, FCT, issued the directive in a communique signed at the end of an emergency meeting held in Gwagwalada, Abuja, on Friday. The communique was jointly signed by the State Chairman, Abdullahi Shafa; the State Secretary, Margaret Jethro; and the State Publicity Secretary, Ibukun Adekeye.
“After exhaustive deliberations on the industrial issues and the silence on the legitimate demands of teachers’ welfare, the Council resolved that all public primary and secondary school teachers in the FCT shall, with effect from Monday, proceed on an indefinite strike until our demands are met,” the union stated.
The action covers all public primary and secondary schools across the FCT’s six area councils. The union has advised parents to keep their children and wards at home until further notice.
At the heart of the dispute is the continued non-implementation of a welfare committee report. FCT Minister Nyesom Wike had constituted the committee on July 7, 2025, following the suspension of a 14-week strike, mandating it to harmonise all outstanding entitlements of primary school teachers and recommend a permanent resolution to the recurring disputes.
The committee concluded its work and submitted its report in August 2025 but the report has neither been made public nor acted upon. The union also demands the removal of “vacancy” as a precondition for the promotion of classroom teachers, which it describes as unfair to qualified educators who have met all professional criteria, as well as a comprehensive review of the 2004 promotion exercise.
The NUT had earlier issued a seven-day ultimatum to the FCT Administration, which expired on March 19, 2026, followed by an additional 28-day grace period. The government failed to engage the union or provide any meaningful response during that time.
The timing compounds the disruption. FCT public schools were scheduled to resume for the second term of the 2025/2026 academic session on Monday meaning the strike will shut classrooms on the very first day of resumption.
