The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared an indefinite strike in Abuja over unresolved issues concerning the promotion and career advancement of teachers.
The industrial action is scheduled to commence on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCT Administration (FCTA).
The NLC had given the FCTA the ultimatum on September 8, 2026, demanding an end to the prolonged welfare-related disputes affecting teachers in the territory.
In a communique signed by the NLC FCT Council Chairman, Comrade Knabayi S. Adalo, the union rejected the administration’s response to its demands, describing it as “ambiguous, dismissive and totally unacceptable.”
At the centre of the dispute is the FCTA’s implementation of a “vacancy clause,” which conditions teacher promotions on available vacancies.
The NLC argued that teachers are recruited specifically by the FCT Universal Basic Education Board, FCT UBEB, and the FCT Secondary Education Board, FCT SEB, to teach, making them distinct from core civil servants or pool staff.
The union insisted that vacancy-based promotion schemes applied to pool officers, noting that the practice had led to severe career stagnation and demoralisation for educators.
