FCT Schools Reopen After Teachers Suspend Strike, But Low Student Attendance Raises Concerns

Teachers in public schools across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have resumed academic activities following the suspension of their strike on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, although attendance by pupils and students remained relatively low in several schools.

The resumption followed a directive from the FCT Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) after consultations and reconciliation meetings between labour leaders and the FCT Administration over issues that triggered the industrial action.

Teachers returned to classrooms in parts of Abaji, Gwagwalada, Bwari and Kuje area councils, with lessons restarting in several schools despite the limited number of students present.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the agreements reached between the labour unions and the FCT Administration include provisions for the promotion of education officers, with available vacancies to be determined by establishment positions declared by the Education Secretariat.

The NLC also stated that the FCT Civil Service Commission would be notified of the Executive Council’s approval of the 2025 promotion examination, after which a new date would be announced for eligible candidates.

At Pilot Science Primary School in Abaji, teachers were seen conducting lessons despite the low turnout. One of the teachers, Shuaibu Musa, said he returned to work after receiving a resumption directive from the FCT chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) late on Tuesday.

The school’s head teacher, Alhaji Salihu Jibrin, said he received the information through the teachers’ union platform and contacted other staff members to prepare for the reopening.

Jibrin disclosed that more than 300 pupils had returned to the school by Wednesday, expressing optimism that attendance would improve before the end of the week.

He commended the FCT NUT leadership, led by Comrade Abdullahi Mohammed Shafas, for its efforts to protect teachers’ welfare. He also praised FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for paying some outstanding arrears owed to teachers but urged the administration to continue addressing unresolved welfare concerns.

At Government Junior Secondary School, Naharati, in Abaji, teachers and a small number of students had also returned to their classrooms.

A teacher at the school, Gabriel Moses, said he received information about the resumption directive at approximately 11:12 p.m. on Tuesday and prepared to return to work the following morning. He urged the FCT Administration to honour its agreements with the unions to prevent another disruption of academic activities.

Similar developments were recorded at Demonstration Primary School and Government Day Secondary School in Gwagwalada, as well as LEA Primary Schools in Gwako and Zuba, where lessons had resumed despite low attendance.

However, some teachers expressed dissatisfaction with aspects of the agreement, particularly the requirement that promotions depend on available vacancies. One teacher argued that the FCT Minister should have addressed the issue more directly, describing the unresolved concerns as disappointing despite the suspension of the strike.

At LEA Primary School in Chibiri community, Kuje Area Council, a few teachers and pupils were also seen participating in classroom activities.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the NUT Kubwa chapter, Comrade Ameh Baba, said teachers returned promptly because they could not afford to lose additional instructional time following the disruption.

Baba warned that recovering the two weeks lost to the strike would be challenging, adding that the union would consider several options, including extending the school calendar by two weeks.

He described the industrial action as unfortunate, arguing that the dispute could have been resolved earlier if the government had acted more promptly.

“The strike was supposed to have been called off since Monday, but unfortunately, those at the helm of affairs on the government side played with the matter, thereby creating more problems rather than solving the initial ones,” he said.

Baba further alleged that the government’s threat to issue queries to teachers worsened the disagreement and prompted a response from the NLC.

He urged the FCT Administration to fulfil its outstanding commitments to teachers, claiming that about 70 per cent of the promises made to the unions remained unfulfilled.

Despite the resumption of classes, concerns remain over student attendance, unresolved welfare issues and the possibility of extending the academic calendar to make up for time lost during the strike.