NUT to Review Strike as Wike Promises Action on Teachers’ Demands

The Nigeria Union of Teachers, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Wing, says it will determine the next phase of its ongoing strike after holding a high-level meeting with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.

Although the union described the meeting as productive, it noted that the strike remains in effect pending consultations with its members.

Speaking after the meeting, the NUT FCT Chairman, Abdulahi Shafa, said the union leadership would return to deliberate on the discussions before taking a final decision.

“We will go back, review what has been discussed with the minister, and determine our next line of action,” he said.

The meeting addressed several long-standing concerns affecting teachers across primary, junior, and senior secondary schools. Key issues include unpaid allowances, staffing shortages, and the role of Area Councils in funding basic education.

Shafa acknowledged what he described as the minister’s commitment to resolving the challenges, noting that some issues raised were previously not fully brought to the minister’s attention. He also highlighted ongoing efforts by the administration to renovate and restructure schools across the FCT.

However, he stressed that primary school teachers remain the most affected, particularly in relation to welfare and entitlement gaps.

Meanwhile, Wike said steps have been taken to tackle funding challenges, including redirecting Internally Generated Revenue allocations from Area Councils to ensure direct payment of teachers’ allowances. He maintained that basic education funding is primarily the responsibility of the councils.

The strike, which began earlier in the week, followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued by the union over unresolved welfare concerns, including promotion delays and the non-implementation of a committee report on teachers’ conditions of service.

While the government has implemented the new minimum wage and settled some salary arrears, the union insists that several demands remain outstanding.

The union is expected to reconvene and announce its final decision in the coming days.

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