Activities in Abuja have been shut down as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, begins an indefinite strike.
The strike started on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, after a seven day ultimatum issued to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on September 8 expired.
In a communique signed by its Chairman, Comrade Knabayi S. Adalo, the NLC said the FCTA’s response to its demands was “ambiguous, dismissive and totally unacceptable.”
At the centre of the dispute is a vacancy clause introduced by the FCTA, which ties teachers’ promotion to the availability of vacant positions.
The NLC rejected the policy, arguing that teachers recruited by the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) and the FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB) are employed specifically to teach and should not be treated like core civil servants or pool officers.
According to the union, the vacancy-based system has caused career stagnation and low morale among teachers.
The Congress listed three key demands: the immediate removal of the vacancy clause for teachers’ promotion, allowing teachers who were eligible in 2025 to write their promotion exams before or alongside 2026 candidates, and the withdrawal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors benefiting from the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022.
It also demanded the dissolution and immediate reinstatement of the management teams of FCT SEB and UBEB.
The NLC directed all its affiliate unions in both public and private sectors to withdraw services and set up enforcement committees, saying offices, schools, hospitals and government establishments will remain shut until the demands are met.
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