“We Just Want to Learn”: FCT Pupils and Parents Plead as Teachers’ Strike Enters Tenth Week

For 11-year-old Muhammad Aliyu, a dusty Monday morning in Abuja means rolling tires down the street with friends, not heading to class. While private school pupils in crisp uniforms disappear into their classrooms, Aliyu and tens of thousands of other public-school children in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are left to wander home, casualties of a protracted strike by primary school teachers now in its tenth week.

Despite the Tinubu administration’s commitment to improving education and addressing systemic challenges, primary education in the FCT remains paralysed by recurring industrial actions. This crisis is particularly concerning given the allocation of no less than ₦140 billion to the education sector in the 2025 FCT budget.

The current strike, which began on March 24, 2025, has now lasted close to 92 days. The core of the dispute lies in the FCT primary school teachers’ union’s unresolved demands, primarily the non-payment of the  N70,000 minimum wage agreement signed in a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding on December 11, 2024.  Other grievances include the non-implementation and non-payment of 25% and 35% salary increments and a 40% peculiar allowance.

This marks the fourth industrial action, following previous strikes suspended in November 2023 and January 2024. A similar strike on September 18, 2024, saw teachers protest the area council chairmen’s failure to implement the payment of the minimum wage arrears and other entitlements. That strike was suspended after 14 days following FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s threat to withhold the councils’ Internally Generated Revenue to meet teachers’ demands, but the resolution proved temporary.

The impact of this latest strike is severe. Pupils were forced to abandon their first-term examinations just three days before completion, as classrooms were abruptly shut. The teachers, employed under the local government area councils, are demanding their unpaid entitlements—a debt the council chairmen have yet to settle. With classrooms empty and children like Muhammad Aliyu sidelined, Abuja’s primary education system is teetering on the brink.

Pupils Lament as Strike Continues to Paralyse FCT Primary Schools

While government officials debate policy and funding, it is the youngest citizens—the pupils—who bear the brunt of the ongoing teachers’ strike in Abuja’s public primary schools.

Isa Ummisalma, a Primary 6 pupil at Abaji East Primary School, voiced her frustration: “I’m sad the school has been locked due to the strike. Most of us have already forgotten what we were taught. There was a time we were supposed to write exams, but we couldn’t. It’s sad that we’re at home. Mine is even manageable because I’ve been learning tailoring since before the strike. But other children who don’t have such opportunities are just roaming around the streets.”

Umar Faruq Idris, a Primary 4 pupil at Sabon Gari Primary School, Abaji, echoed similar sentiments: “I’m always unhappy when I see children in private schools going to school while I’m at home. I want the government to stop the strikes and let us return to our classrooms.”

In the Bwari Area Council, Amira Suleiman, also in Primary 6, expressed concern over her disrupted academic progress: “Since the second term, we’ve been at home. We didn’t even finish our exams, and now it’s the third term. We’re supposed to be preparing for Common Entrance into JSS1, but there’s no news. I feel like crying.”

For some children like Favour Ogechi, the absence of structure is worrying: “I’ve been at home, playing from morning till night. There’s nothing to do.”

These personal stories paint a dire picture of the consequences of the ongoing industrial action, now stretching into its third month, despite significant budgetary allocations.

Policy Provisions vs. Reality

This situation unfolds even as national and international frameworks stress the right to education.

UNICEF has consistently emphasised that “every child has the right to quality education.” The organisation’s State of the World’s Children report stresses that education must not be interrupted, especially for the most vulnerable.

Domestically, the Universal Basic Education Act of 2004 established Local Education Authorities (LEAs) to ensure access to basic education and improve learning outcomes at the grassroots level. Moreover, Section 18(3) of the Nigerian Constitution mandates free and compulsory universal primary and junior secondary education.

Yet, in the Federal Capital Territory—the seat of Nigeria’s government—children remain out of school, their futures held hostage by bureaucratic deadlock and broken promises.

Teachers Devastated, Parents Disappointed as FCT Strike Drags On

As the strike by primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory enters its tenth week, educators across area councils express deep frustration and concern over the lasting damage to pupils’ education.

Abdulkareem Lukman Usman, a primary school teacher at Science Primary School Agyan, Abaji Area Council, shared how the prolonged industrial action has disrupted both academic and emotional rhythms in the classroom: “This is the Tenth week we’ve been at home due to the strike. Everything has come to a halt—lesson plans, preparation of instructional materials, classroom engagement—all paused indefinitely. And when we finally resume, how do we recover the lost time? The missed topics? How do we catch up with the curriculum?”

He added, “Our pupils are especially affected. From experience, when they return from such strikes and you ask them about previous lessons, they often cannot recall anything. It’s truly devastating.”

Abdulazeez Abdullahi, another teacher from LEA Mabushi, warned of the deeper societal consequences of repeated strike actions: “The long-term effects of these recurring strikes in the FCT education system cannot be overstated. They often lead to pupils dropping out of school entirely. In the long run, some of these children become vulnerable to negative influences, engaging in social vices that disrupt the peace of our communities.”

He continued, “It also erodes public trust in the government. Parents feel abandoned, as though the education of their children has been neglected. When citizens begin to lose confidence in the system, they may stop enrolling their wards in school altogether—a clear sign of systemic failure.”

From the Gwagwalada Area Council, Sakina Muhammad, another affected teacher, expressed concern not just for the children, but for the teachers themselves: “It is emotionally draining for us as teachers to remain idle at home. Our pupils are left to wander the streets, with no academic structure, no guidance, and no hope in sight. It’s a troubling situation for all of us.”

Parents Lament, Union Defends Action as FCT Teachers’ Strike Persists

As the strike by primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) continues to keep classrooms shut, parents are expressing growing frustration over the prolonged disruption to their children’s education.

Hafsat Aliyu, a parent in Abaji Area Council, shared her disappointment: “Public schools used to be good, but now it’s unfortunate. If many of us could afford private schools, we wouldn’t be sending our children to public ones anymore. The frequent strikes are affecting everything. There was a time when the pupils’ exams were rushed—multiple subjects in one day. Another time, they didn’t even finish their exams before schools were shut.”

Bello Aminu, another parent, added: “We’ve been helpless and unhappy. We used to have faith in the government, but now we’re disappointed. The same public schools that once built great leaders are being allowed to rot. It feels like no one cares about the education of the poor anymore.”

NUT Chairman: ‘We Are Ready to Work—If the Issues Are Addressed’

Speaking on the position of the teachers, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in the FCT, Comrade Abdullahi Mohammed Shafas, explained that the strike continues simply because the demands of the teachers remain unmet.

“Nothing has been addressed. That is why the strike is still ongoing,” he stated.

Comrade Shafas justified the industrial action, insisting that the teachers’ demands are not unreasonable: “As a teacher, if you continue working without receiving your rightful entitlements, how is that fair? We have responsibilities too. If those charged with educating the nation’s children are denied their rights, how can the system function properly?”

When asked if the Union had considered calling off the strike in good faith, he responded: “We have always been ready to return to the classroom, once the issues are resolved. If our employers do the right thing, we could go over a decade without going on strike. Our concern has always been about the quality and stability of education for our children.”

He revealed that the Union has held several meetings with government representatives and has entered into multiple agreements over time. However, the local councils continue to claim they lack the financial capacity to fulfil the promises made.

“It is not the Union’s duty to tell the councils where or how to source funds. That’s their responsibility—not ours,” he added.

Comrade Shafas concluded by reaffirming the teachers’ commitment to returning to the classrooms once the government fulfils its obligations: “Once the issues are genuinely resolved, we will gladly return to work. No teacher wants to stay away from the classroom. But dignity and fairness must be respected.”

Experts Proffer Solutions

Responding to the situation, Aminat Bint Ahmad, a lecturer at the National Teachers Institute (NTI) and an evaluator with the Department of Education Quality Assurance in Abaji zone, expressed concern over the prolonged strike, warning of its harmful effects on pupils’ education.

She noted that many public schools have been crippled by frequent strikes, and “it’s now 10 weeks into the third term with pupils still at home. Some schools haven’t even completed last term’s examinations. Primary school is the very foundation of a child’s education, and that foundation is being destroyed.”

Aminat questioned how teachers would cover the scheme of work when “nothing has been taught.” She added that forcing pupils to write exams under these conditions amounts to “cheating” and is a sure path to producing “educated illiterates and quacks” in the future.

She called on the government to urgently settle the teachers’ salaries and arrears, stressing that “other parastatals are being paid, so why neglect teachers—the very people who lay the foundation for all other professions?” She further noted that in other countries, teachers are treated with dignity because they play a critical role in building every profession, starting from primary school. If the government can do the same, education will be improved.

Also, speaking with Maimuna Usman Usara, a lecturer at Shehu Shagari University of Education, Sokoto, Department of Guidance and Counselling, Faculty of Education, she described the prolonged strike as “a serious threat to pupils’ academic performance and the future of our educational system.”

She noted that the impact cuts across academic, psychological, emotional, and socio-economic areas. “Academically, the strike has prolonged the school session, reduced pupils’ interest, and weakened their understanding and retention. Many are at risk of forgetting what they’ve already learned,” she said. She added that psychologically and emotionally, “it causes anxiety, stress, and loss of preparedness to learn, while pushing idle pupils into vices like truancy and pickpocketing.”

Maimuna also warned of the socio-economic effects, stating that “it distorts the school calendar, delays career prospects, increases dropout rates—especially among girls—and places a financial burden on families forced to hire private tutors.”

To tackle the issue, she urged the government to “increase education funding, improve teachers’ welfare and working conditions, engage in meaningful dialogue with stakeholders, and establish effective ways to resolve disputes promptly.” She concluded by stressing that “lasting solutions are urgently needed to stabilise the system and protect our children’s future.