After losing 14 weeks of teaching, hundreds of thousands of primary school pupils in public schools are returning to classes following an announcement by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) officially suspending the four-month strike embarked upon by their teachers on March 24, 2025.
The union, in a communiqué issued after an emergency meeting of its State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) on Friday, July 4, 2025, directed all primary school teachers across the FCT to resume duties on Wednesday, July 9, 2025.
But teaching is expected to resume Thursday or Friday, or Monday at the latest, Everyday.ng gathered. There was partial response to the call for resumption for the ‘holidaying’ pupils.
The decision follows the intervention of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who facilitated the release of ₦16 billion from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to settle part of the outstanding salaries, including the implementation of the new minimum wage and the payment of five months’ arrears.
Communiqué Highlights
According to the communiqué made available to the press on Tuesday, July 8, the union acknowledged the Minister’s efforts in addressing the long-standing salary crisis that had grounded basic education in the capital.
“Having deliberated exhaustively on the Minister’s intervention, including the release of ₦16 billion and the positive move by the FCTA to assume responsibility for paying teachers’ salaries, the SWEC resolved to suspend the strike,” the communiqué read.
The union also revealed that a special committee has been constituted to harmonize the outstanding arrears and propose a sustainable funding plan for the permanent settlement of all salary backlogs within two weeks.
Ministerial Intervention
The communiqué noted that while the Minister reaffirmed that Area Councils are legally responsible for the salaries of primary school teachers, he acknowledged their inability to fulfill the obligation due to limited funding. Consequently, the FCT Administration (FCTA) stepped in with the following measures:
• Release of ₦16 billion, representing six months of 10% FCT IGR due to Area Councils.
• Partial implementation of the new minimum wage, including payment of June salaries and five months’ arrears.
• Formation of a harmonization committee to work out full details of outstanding payments.
The SWEC expressed gratitude to FCT teachers for their resilience and unity throughout the four-month industrial action. It also acknowledged the support of FCT traditional rulers, civil society groups, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and other stakeholders who contributed to the resolution process.
“We sincerely appreciate the unwavering support, solidarity, and prayers of our members during this difficult period,” the union stated.
Return to Duty
The union urged all primary school teachers in the FCT to return to their classrooms and resume their official duties effective Wednesday, July 9, 2025, while efforts continue to ensure the payment of all outstanding entitlements.
