NLC Declares Indefinite Strike In FCT

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has declared a total and indefinite strike across the nation’s capital, directing workers in both the public and private sectors to withdraw their services from Wednesday, October 7.

Naija News understands that the directive followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on September 8, 2026, over unresolved welfare issues affecting teachers in the FCT.

In a communique signed by the NLC FCT Council Chairman, Comrade Knabayi S. Adalo, the union rejected the FCTA’s response to the ultimatum, describing it as “ambiguous, dismissive and totally unacceptable.”

A major point of contention is the FCTA’s implementation of a “vacancy clause” that makes the promotion of teachers subject to the availability of vacancies.

The NLC argued that teachers were specifically recruited by the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) and the FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB) to teach and, therefore, should not be treated in the same manner as core civil servants or pool staff.

According to the Congress, applying vacancy-based promotion to teachers could result in prolonged career stagnation and affect their morale.

Among the union’s demands is the immediate removal of the vacancy clause as a condition for teachers’ promotion.

The NLC also demanded that eligible 2025 candidates be allowed to sit for promotion examinations alongside, or before, the 2026 candidates.

It further called for the reversal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors who benefit from the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022.

The union also demanded the dissolution and reinstatement of management teams at the FCT SEB and FCT UBEB.

Consequently, the NLC directed all public and private sector workers, including affiliate unions in schools, hospitals, offices and government establishments, to stay away from work from October 7 until its demands are met.

Enforcement committees have also been directed to mobilise workers and monitor compliance across the FCT.

Explaining the union’s position, Adalo said teachers should not be subjected to a promotion system 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. The FCTA’s attempt to sustain industrial harmony without addressing injustice is mere wishful thinking.

“There can be no peace without justice,” he said.

The NLC urged parents, residents and civil society organisations in the FCT to support the industrial action, warning that failure to address the issues could result in what it described as the total collapse of the territory’s education sector.