Primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), operating under the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), have initiated an indefinite strike action, commencing Monday, March 24, 2025. The strike follows the teachers’ receipt of their February 2025 salaries, which failed to reflect the previously agreed upon N70,000 minimum wage.
The decision to strike was formalized in a communique issued after an emergency meeting of the State Wing Standing Committee (SWSC) in Gwagwalada on Saturday, March 22, 2025. The meeting addressed the discrepancy in salary payments, specifically the exclusion of the new national minimum wage.
“The Union is deeply troubled by the persistent and blatant disregard for agreements reached with the Area Council Chairmen in the FCT,” the communique stated.
The union emphasized that the implementation of the new minimum wage in February 2025 was a crucial condition for suspending their previous strike. The teachers expressed disappointment with the salary disbursement, labeling it “disturbing, disheartening, and devoid of sympathy” for their financial struggles.
The SWSC questioned the continued financial hardship imposed on teachers, rhetorically asking, “Why the relentless impoverishment of the already impoverished? Why inflict continuous hardship and suffering on teachers and their families? ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!”
The communique outlined a series of demands, including the immediate inclusion of the national minimum wage in February salaries, the payment of the wage differential, the implementation of the new minimum wage in March salaries, and the disbursement of six months’ worth of minimum wage arrears.
The union also demanded the immediate implementation of various allowances, such as a 40 percent peculiar allowance and other salary enhancements. Members were instructed to adhere to these demands and await further instructions, while parents were advised to keep their children at home during the strike.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, FCT NUT chairman Comrade Abdullahi Mohammed Shafas criticized the area council chairmen for failing to honor their commitments. “We suspended our strike on February 21, 2025, in good faith, based on assurances that the new minimum wage would be implemented in February,” Shafas stated. He described the decision to exclude the new wage from February salaries as “disturbing, disheartening, and lacking in empathy” for the challenges faced by primary school teachers.
