Amid a protracted teachers’ strike that has shut down primary schools across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, will on Thursday meet with leaders of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), area council chairmen, and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in a renewed push to end the crisis and reopen schools.
The planned meeting was confirmed on Wednesday in a joint statement by NANS National President Olushola Oladoja and the association’s National Public Relations Officer, Adeyemi Ajasa. According to the statement, the gathering is the latest in a series of negotiations aimed at finding a lasting solution to the deadlock between the striking teachers and the local authorities responsible for their wages.
Earlier this week, Wike also met with student representatives to clarify the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s (FCTA) stance. During the dialogue, the minister explained that due to the FCT’s full implementation of local government autonomy, the area councils bear full responsibility for funding primary school education including teacher salaries.
He emphasized that the FCTA had proposed a bailout plan, offering to cover 60% of outstanding salary arrears if the councils commit to the remaining 40%.
However, after several councils failed to fulfill their end of the agreement, the FCTA responded by withholding their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for May and June.
Wike explained that the funds would now be redirected to pay the councils’ portion of the salary backlog. This move aims to resolve the strike by ensuring teachers are compensated without further delay.
Behind the scenes, NANS had initially mobilized for a major protest at the FCTA Secretariat but later suspended the action after what they described as “emergency consultations,” including a closed-door session with the Department of State Services (DSS). The association said the protest was halted in view of national security concerns and to allow time for the resolutions to take effect.
NANS concluded its statement by expressing cautious optimism. It announced that the redirected funds are expected to be disbursed before the week ends, raising hopes that normal academic activities could resume soon. The student body also pledged to continue monitoring the situation, vowing to hold all parties accountable to ensure uninterrupted access to education.
