The Nigeria Labour Congress, Federal Capital Territory Council, has declared an indefinite strike over unresolved disputes concerning teachers’ promotions, career progression and the redeployment of senior education officers, directing workers in both the public and private sectors to withdraw their services from Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-IDRI-Masterclass.png")
The decision followed a State Executive Council meeting held on Tuesday at Labour House, Abuja, after the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCT Administration.
In a statement signed by the council’s chairman, Knabayi S. Adalo, the NLC said the administration’s response had failed to resolve the grievances raised by teachers and their representatives.
“The strike will be total and indefinite,” the council declared.
At the centre of the dispute is the application of a vacancy requirement to teachers’ promotions. Under the arrangement being challenged, an eligible teacher’s advancement depends on the availability of a vacant position within the establishment.
The NLC maintains that teachers employed by the FCT Universal Basic Education Board and the FCT Secondary Education Board should not be subjected to promotion conditions designed for pool officers.
According to the union, teachers were recruited specifically to teach, and applying the vacancy condition to them has caused prolonged career stagnation and declining morale.
The council is demanding the removal of the vacancy precondition and an opportunity for teachers who were eligible for the 2025 promotion exercise, but could not participate, to sit their examinations alongside or before the 2026 candidates.
Another major grievance concerns directors in agencies under the Education Secretariat who benefited from the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022.
The NLC is seeking the withdrawal of letters it describes as redeployment and demotion directives affecting those officers, together with the restoration of their previous positions.
In its earlier ultimatum, the council alleged that some directors had been returned to classroom duties while junior officers took over their positions. It argued that the arrangement undermined the public service structure and the administration of education in the territory.
The union also called for changes to the management arrangements at the Secondary Education Board and Universal Basic Education Board.
The dispute had been formally communicated to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, in a letter dated September 8, 2026. The letter gave the administration seven days from receipt to address the outstanding issues.
The NLC said its affiliate, the Nigeria Union of Teachers, FCT Wing, had previously pursued the grievances through correspondence, meetings and a peaceful protest without securing an acceptable resolution.
It also complained that results of the 2025 promotion examination for other cadres had been released while affected teachers remained excluded and preparations for the 2026 exercise were proceeding.
The FCT Administration had responded through its Head of Civil Service, Nancy Nathan, in a letter dated September 29.
According to the reported contents of that letter, Wike directed a stay of action on the concerns raised and instructed the FCT Civil Service Commission to reschedule the 2025 promotion examination for the affected education officers.
Nathan also conveyed the minister’s commitment to addressing the other outstanding matters.
However, Adalo said the response did not provide an adequate resolution of the vacancy requirement or the disputed redeployment of senior directors. The council consequently proceeded with the industrial action.
The strike directive extends beyond teachers. The NLC instructed its affiliate unions in the public and private sectors to mobilise their members and ensure compliance across schools, hospitals, offices and government establishments.
The council also announced plans for enforcement committees to monitor compliance across sectors. Adalo urged workers to remain resolute and assured them that the union would oppose victimisation arising from participation in the action.
The labour body appealed to parents and other residents to bear with workers during the dispute and urged civil society organisations to press the administration to resolve the issues affecting teachers.
It maintained that industrial harmony required the underlying grievances to be addressed, declaring: “There can be no peace without justice.”
The declaration establishes the union’s instruction to withdraw services across the territory. The reports reviewed did not provide a verified, territory-wide assessment of compliance or establish that every school, hospital and private establishment had closed.
No definite resumption date was announced. The council said workers should remain away from their duty posts until further notice, pending resolution of its demands.
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation
______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence
Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via:
0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888
Website: www.alexandernigeria.com
