The National Assembly has intervened in the prolonged industrial action by public primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which has crippled academic activities in the region since March 2025.
The teachers, under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), are protesting the non-implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage and the non-payment of several outstanding entitlements. The strike, which began with two initial boycotts in December 2024, resumed fully in February and has since disrupted public primary education across the FCT.
Tensions escalated last Thursday when teachers and other local government workers marched to the office of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, at Area 11 in Abuja, blocking the entrance in protest.
In response, Minister Wike confirmed the release of over N4 billion to address the wage arrears and entitlements. He criticised the six FCT area council chairmen for allegedly failing to properly disburse the funds and summoned them for an emergency meeting.
However, the crisis deepened as questions arose over the disbursement process. Speaking exclusively to our correspondent on Wednesday, the FCT Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Stephen Knabayi, disclosed that union leaders met with National Assembly leadership on Tuesday.
“We were at the National Assembly yesterday. The meeting will continue next week. The council chairmen were asked to submit records of their allocations and expenses between Tuesday and Friday,” Knabayi said.
The intervention aims to scrutinise the council chairmen’s claims of insufficient funding. According to Knabayi, the Permanent Secretary of the FCT Administration Treasury Department has also been invited for questioning.
“The Treasury says N4.1 billion was released, while the council chairmen claim they haven’t received the funds. A committee has now been set up to verify these claims and determine the next course of action,” he explained.
Despite the high-level involvement, Knabayi expressed skepticism about the process and cast doubt on a quick resolution.
“For us, all these things—they’re just buying time. We don’t believe them. Our action continues. By tomorrow, we will decide whether we’ll hit the streets again on Monday or Tuesday. We are not waiting for anyone,” he said firmly.
As the impasse persists, thousands of pupils across the FCT remain out of school, with growing concerns from parents and civil society groups over the long-term impact on education in the territory.