The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday commenced an indefinite strike across Abuja, directing workers in public and private establishments to withdraw their services over unresolved disputes concerning teachers’ promotion, career progression and welfare.
The action, which took effect on October 7, followed the expiration of an ultimatum issued by the labour council to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on September 8.
The NLC directed its affiliate unions in schools, hospitals, government offices and other establishments to ensure compliance with the industrial action until its demands are addressed.
However, the extent of compliance across the territory remained unclear, with the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) distancing itself from the strike. The development introduces uncertainty over the immediate impact of the directive on schools and other institutions in the FCT.
At the centre of the dispute is the FCTA’s use of a “vacancy clause” in the promotion of teachers. Under the arrangement being challenged by labour, teachers’ progression is tied to the availability of vacant positions.
The NLC argues that the requirement is inappropriate for teachers because they are employed specifically by the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) and FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB) to teach and should not be treated in the same manner as pool officers or other core civil servants.
The union says the policy could leave teachers on the same grade level for prolonged periods, resulting in career stagnation and declining morale. It is demanding the immediate removal of the vacancy requirement and the promotion of eligible teachers as and when due.
The council is also demanding that teachers who became eligible for promotion in 2025 be allowed to sit for their promotion examinations alongside, or before, the 2026 candidates.
Other demands include the withdrawal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors affected by the implementation of the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022, as well as changes to the management of the FCT SEB and UBEB.
The retirement-age dispute has gained additional legal significance following a July 2026 ruling by the National Industrial Court in Abuja. The court held that teachers and education officers who attain the rank of director are entitled to remain in service until they reach 65 years or complete 40 years of pensionable service, rather than being compulsorily retired after eight years as directors.
The NLC said its decision to strike followed the failure of the FCTA to satisfactorily address the issues contained in its ultimatum.
In a communique signed by its FCT Council Chairman, Knabayi S. Adalo, the labour body rejected the administration’s response as “ambiguous, dismissive and totally unacceptable.”
Adalo maintained that teachers should not be subjected to a promotion arrangement designed for pool officers.
“Teachers are not core civil servants nor pool staff and cannot be subjected to vacancy-based promotion meant for pool officers,” he said, insisting that attempts to restore industrial harmony without addressing the underlying grievances would not resolve the dispute.
The NLC subsequently directed its enforcement committees to mobilise workers and monitor compliance across the FCT.
The union also appealed to parents, residents and civil society organisations to support its demands, warning that continued failure to resolve the dispute could further disrupt Abuja’s education sector.