For more than 90 days, primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been on strike. The strike, which began on March 24, 2025, is in protest against the non-payment of the ₦70,000 new minimum wage by Area Council chairmen. Despite ongoing calls for resolution, the teachers’ demands remain unmet, and there is no clear end in sight.
Amid the continued closure of schools, critics have accused FCT officials of prioritising infrastructure projects over education. The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has continued commissioning projects while the strike drags on, prompting questions about the administration’s commitment to education.
On Monday, social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), led a protest to the FCT Minister’s office in Abuja. Dressed in a school uniform and accompanied by students, VDM demanded immediate action to reopen schools and pay teachers.
During the protest, Bitrus Garki, Mandate Secretary of the Area Councils Services Secretariat, addressed the demonstrators. He admitted that while the issue falls under the area councils’ purview, the FCT Administration, along with the NUT, NULGE, and NLC, was working on a resolution.
“We’ve heard your grievances, and discussions are ongoing. I can’t give a timeline, but we are working to find a lasting solution,” Garki said.
Unimpressed, VDM gave the government one week to resolve the crisis or face larger protests involving students from across the FCT.
“If the children are not back in school within a week, we’ll mobilise more students and return. This is about their future,” he declared.
Meanwhile, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, also condemned the prolonged closure of public primary schools in the FCT. In a statement shared on X (Twitter), Obi stressed the importance of education as the foundation of national development.
“When the strike began, we thought it would last just a few days—this is Abuja. But three months later, the children are still at home while we focus on infrastructure. That’s a misplaced priority,” Obi said.
He warned that neglecting education leads to poverty, insecurity, and underdevelopment, and urged government officials to prioritise human capital development over physical projects.
“True development is about building people, not just roads and buildings,” Obi added.
In a separate statement, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) issued a seven-day ultimatum to the FCT Minister to resolve the strike or face mass protests.
Comrade Olushola Oladoja, NANS National President, criticised the continued denial of basic education to children of the poor while the elite’s children attend private schools without interruption.
“It is disheartening that innocent children have been shut out of classrooms for over two months. This speaks volumes about the government’s insensitivity,” Oladoja said.
He revealed that several official letters sent to the minister requesting dialogue had gone unanswered.
“If no action is taken in seven working days, NANS will mobilise thousands of students and shut down the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA),” he warned.
