The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Federal Capital Territory Council, has declared an indefinite strike across the Federal Capital Territory over unresolved disputes involving the promotion and career progression of teachers.
The industrial action takes effect from Wednesday, October 7, 2026, following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCT Administration.
NaijaOnPoint reports that the decision was reached after the NLC FCT State Executive Council reviewed the response from the administration to the issues raised by the labour body.
The council rejected the response, saying it failed to address the concerns that led to the ultimatum.
The development is expected to affect workers and public activities across the nation’s capital as the NLC has directed its affiliate unions to mobilise their members for the strike.
The dispute is largely centred on the treatment of teachers employed under the FCT education system, particularly the use of available vacancies as a condition for promotion.
The labour body has maintained that teachers should not be treated in the same manner as core civil servants or pool officers because they were employed specifically to teach in schools under the FCT Universal Basic Education Board and FCT Secondary Education Board.
NaijaOnPoint earlier reported that the NLC had earlier issued a seven-day ultimatum to the FCT Administration on September 8, 2026.
The ultimatum followed months of disagreements between the unions and the administration over promotion, career progression and the treatment of senior officials within the education sector.
One of the major issues raised by the labour union is the “vacancy clause”, which requires an available position before a teacher can move to the next level despite meeting other requirements for promotion.
The NLC has argued that applying the condition to teachers could leave qualified educators waiting for years before advancing in their careers.
The issue had previously generated tension among teachers in the territory and disrupted activities surrounding the 2025 promotion examination.
The union is now demanding that the vacancy requirement be removed from the promotion process for teachers.
It is also asking the FCT Administration to allow teachers who were eligible for the 2025 promotion examination but were unable to participate to sit for the examination alongside, or before, candidates for the 2026 exercise.
Another issue involves directors and other senior officials in the FCT education agencies.
The NLC is demanding the reversal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors who are beneficiaries of the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act, 2022.
The union also wants the management structures of the FCT Secondary Education Board and FCT Universal Basic Education Board reviewed, with the affected management teams reinstated.
The NLC said the treatment of some education directors was inconsistent with the provisions governing the retirement age of teachers and education officers.
The Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act provides for the retirement of teachers at 65 years of age or after 40 years of pensionable service, whichever comes first.
The controversy over the implementation of the law has also been subject to legal proceedings.
In July 2026, the National Industrial Court considered the application of the eight-year tenure policy to teachers and education officers and ruled that the policy could not override protections provided under the 2022 retirement-age law.
According to the NLC FCT Council, several engagements had already taken place before the latest ultimatum was issued.
The union said its affiliate, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT Wing, had held discussions with relevant authorities and made several representations without securing a resolution acceptable to its members.
The NLC chairman in the FCT, Comrade Knabayi S. Adalo, said the administration’s response to the ultimatum failed to resolve the fundamental issues.
He said the labour movement could not accept a situation where teachers were subjected to a promotion system designed for another category of public servants.
“Teachers are not core civil servants nor pool staff and cannot be subjected to vacancy-based promotion meant for pool officers. The FCTA’s attempt to sustain industrial harmony without addressing injustice is mere wishful thinking.
“There can be no peace without justice,” Adalo said.
Following the expiration of the ultimatum, the NLC directed workers across the FCT to withdraw their services until the issues are resolved.
The directive covers affiliate unions and is expected to affect activities in schools, government establishments and other workplaces across the territory.
The labour council has also directed enforcement committees to mobilise and monitor compliance with the strike directive.
The NUT FCT Wing has separately instructed teachers in public primary and secondary schools across the territory to remain at home from Wednesday pending further directives from the union.
The latest development means that schools could be among the first institutions to experience the impact of the industrial action, with teachers already directed to stay away from classrooms.
The NLC has also called on parents, residents and civil society organisations in the FCT to support its position and press for a resolution of the dispute.
The labour body warned that allowing the disagreement to continue could further disrupt the education system in the territory.
The FCT Administration, however, has previously defended its position on promotions, maintaining that advancement within the public service must take into account approved vacancies, established positions and available resources.
The administration has also defended its authority to deploy personnel within the education system where necessary.
The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), FCT Chapter, an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress, has also distanced itself from the planned industrial action.
ASUSS maintained that the FCT Administration has the authority to deploy personnel and argued that promotion within the public service should be tied to established vacancies and available resources.
The latest strike is also not the first major labour dispute to affect the FCT in 2026.
In January, workers under the Joint Unions Action Committee embarked on industrial action over grievances within the FCT Administration before an agreement reached with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike led to the suspension of the strike and the return of workers to their duties.
In April, FCT teachers also moved towards another indefinite strike over unresolved welfare and promotion issues, including concerns about the use of vacancies as a condition for career advancement.
The latest action, however, is coming specifically after the NLC FCT Council reviewed the administration’s response to its September ultimatum and concluded that the outstanding grievances had not been satisfactorily addressed.
The council has therefore directed its members to remain on strike until further notice.
This article first appeared on NaijaOnPoint: https://politicsnigeria.com/2026/10/07/breaking-nlc-declares-indefinite-strike-in-fct-abuja/
… BREAKING: NLC Declares Indefinite Strike in FCT Abuja Read More on … NaijaOnPoint.
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