The Federal Capital Territory Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress has declared an indefinite strike in Abuja over the unresolved promotion and career progression crisis affecting teachers in the territory.
The strike commenced on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, after the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCT Administration to resolve the long-standing disputes.
The NLC had issued the ultimatum on September 8, demanding urgent action on the welfare and career progression of FCT teachers.
But the union, in a communique signed by its FCT Council Chairman, Comrade Knabayi S. Adalo, rejected the administration’s response, describing it as “ambiguous, dismissive and totally unacceptable.”
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A major point of contention is the FCTA’s application of a “vacancy clause”, which makes the promotion of teachers dependent on the availability of vacant positions.
The NLC condemned the policy, arguing that teachers are recruited specifically by the FCT Universal Basic Education Board and the FCT Secondary Education Board to teach and should not be subjected to the same promotion system as core civil servants or pool officers.
The union maintained that vacancy-based promotion was designed for pool officers and had no place in the career progression of teachers recruited specifically for classroom duties.
According to the NLC, the policy has left many teachers trapped on the same grade levels for years, resulting in career stagnation, frustration and declining morale among educators.
The labour body said it had exhausted available avenues for dialogue and was compelled to declare the indefinite strike after the FCTA failed to satisfactorily resolve the issues within the stipulated period.
