Primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have resumed their indefinite strike over the non-implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage by the Chairman of council areas in the FCT.
It would be recalled that the State Wing Standing Committee (SWSC) had previously embarked on a strike to press for their demands before suspending it on February 21, 2025, after the council chairmen promised to meet their requirements.
The teachers, under the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), began the strike on Monday, March 24, 2025, following a union meeting held on Saturday in Gwagwalada. During the meeting, they expressed concerns that their February salaries were still based on the old minimum wage (N30,000).
In a communiqué, the FCT NUT Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Mohammed Shafas, expressed disappointment, stating that it was disheartening that the council chairmen in the FCT had failed to fulfill their promises to the union. He noted that this failure violated the new National Minimum Wage Act, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu eight months ago.
The national minimum wage was previously N30,000 until the president signed the new wage into law on July 29, 2024, after months of negotiations, during which the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had insisted on a minimum wage of no less than N250,000.
However, governments at all levels have failed to implement the new wage, including the federal government, which has yet to increase the monthly allowance of corps members serving under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), but promised to implement it in the March payment.
The Abuja branch of the union described the council chairmen’s failure to implement the new wage as a deliberate attempt to continue impoverishing teachers in the FCT, declaring: “Enough Is Enough!”
The union vowed not to call off the strike until its demands are met, which include:
- Immediate implementation of the national minimum wage in February salaries.
- Payment of the difference between the old and new wages.
- Payment of six months’ arrears as previously agreed.
- Immediate steps towards the implementation of various allowances, including a 40 percent peculiar allowance and additional salary increases.
Shafas urged union members to remain vigilant while awaiting the FCT administration’s response. He also advised parents to take care of their children during the strike.
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