Primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have suspended their four-month strike and directed members to return to classrooms from Wednesday, July 9, 2025.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT Wing, Abubakar Shafa, had earlier maintained that teachers would not resume until their outstanding salaries were paid. However, the strike was called off following the intervention of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the disbursement of ₦16 billion for payment of teachers’ entitlements.
According to a communiqué issued at the end of an emergency meeting of the State Wing Executive Council (SWEC), the union said the suspension followed a stakeholder meeting convened by the minister on July 3, 2025. The meeting had in attendance the Chairmen of the House Committees on FCT and Area Councils, the FCT Head of Service, the Permanent Secretary of Treasury, NUT executives, and other key stakeholders.
The communiqué noted that although the responsibility of paying teachers’ salaries rests with the Area Councils, the minister acknowledged that their financial allocations were insufficient. To address this, he approved the release of six months’ worth of 10 percent FCT Internally Generated Revenue, totaling ₦16 billion, to cover the June 2025 salary under the new minimum wage and 60 percent of arrears spanning nine months.
A special committee has also been constituted to harmonize all outstanding arrears within two weeks and outline a sustainable plan for permanent settlement of the backlog. The union confirmed that implementation of the new minimum wage and the payment of five months’ arrears were effected on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.
Following these developments, the SWEC resolved to suspend the strike and directed all primary school teachers in the FCT to resume duty on Wednesday.
The union expressed appreciation to members for their resilience, solidarity, and support throughout the industrial action and assured them that efforts would continue to ensure the complete payment of all outstanding entitlements.
