The Nigeria Labour Congress, Federal Capital Territory Council, has declared an indefinite strike across the nation’s capital over unresolved disputes surrounding the promotion and conditions of service of teachers.
The strike commenced on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, with the labour body directing workers in both the public and private sectors to withdraw their services until further notice.
The decision followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Capital Territory Administration over what the NLC described as unresolved grievances affecting FCT teachers.
In a communiqué issued after its State Executive Council meeting on Monday and signed by the council chairman, Knabayi Adalo, the NLC described the FCTA’s response to its demands as “ambiguous and totally unacceptable.”
The labour council directed its affiliate unions to mobilise members for full compliance, while enforcement committees were to be established across the six area councils of the FCT.
Under the directive, government offices, schools, hospitals and other public establishments in the territory are expected to remain closed for the duration of the industrial action.
Among its demands, the NLC is seeking the removal of the vacancy requirement for the promotion of FCT teachers, arguing that the policy has resulted in career stagnation among members of the teaching profession.
The union also wants teachers who became due for promotion in 2025 to be allowed to take their promotion examinations either before or alongside the 2026 candidates.
It further demanded the withdrawal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors who are beneficiaries of the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022.
The labour body also called for the dissolution of the management teams of the FCT State Education Board and the FCT Universal Basic Education Board, alongside their immediate reinstatement.
The NLC said the FCTA had failed to address what it considered the central issue in the dispute, insisting that teachers should not be subjected to vacancy-based promotion requirements because they were recruited specifically to teach.
The council warned that the continued implementation of the policy would deepen frustration among teachers, saying, “There can be no peace without justice.”
The labour body consequently directed all public and private sector workers in the FCT to stay away from their duty posts and warned against victimisation of workers participating in the strike.
The NLC appealed to parents, civil society groups and other stakeholders to intervene by urging the FCTA to resolve the dispute, warning that the prolonged disagreement could further disrupt the education sector in the territory.
The FCT council maintained that the industrial action would be total and indefinite until its demands were satisfactorily addressed.