The Nigeria Labour Congress, Federal Capital Territory Council, has threatened to mobilise workers in the territory for an indefinite strike if the FCT Administration fails to resolve three outstanding grievances involving teachers within seven days.
The ultimatum was contained in a letter dated September 8, 2026, and addressed to the Minister of the FCT. It was signed by the NLC FCT Council Chairman, Knabayi S. Adalo.
The dispute centres on the application of a vacancy requirement to teachers’ promotion, the exclusion of some eligible teachers from the 2025 promotion examination and the redeployment of directors of educational agencies to the classroom.
The latest ultimatum follows a protest by FCT teachers about two months ago over the use of vacancies as a condition for promotion. The protest disrupted the 2025 promotion examination for workers under the FCT Administration.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers, FCT Wing, had argued that teachers should not be subjected to the vacancy clause because they are field workers and not pool staff. It warned that the policy could stall their career progression.
In its letter, the NLC said the NUT had held several meetings and written numerous letters to the FCT Civil Service Commission and other relevant authorities, but that the issues remained unresolved.
The congress said the vacancy requirement had resulted in “serious career stagnation” and prevented many teachers from advancing to the next cadre.
It also demanded that teachers who were qualified to participate in the 2025 promotion examination but were barred from doing so should be allowed to take the examination alongside candidates for the 2026 exercise.
According to the labour body, the situation had worsened the morale of affected teachers, especially as the results of the 2025 promotion examination for other cadres had been released and preparations for the 2026 exercise were underway.
Another issue raised by the NLC was the redeployment of directors of educational agencies who are covered by the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act, 2022, back to the classroom.
The congress alleged that the positions previously occupied by the directors had been given to junior officers, describing the development as “demoralising, humiliating and an aberration to the Public Service Structure.”
It argued that the policy was detrimental to the effective administration of schools in the FCT.
The Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act provides that teachers should retire at 65 years or after 40 years of pensionable service, whichever comes first. The law also includes education officers in its definition of teachers.
In a judgment delivered in July 2026, the National Industrial Court ruled that the eight-year tenure policy for directors could not be applied to teachers and education officers in a way that contradicted the 2022 Act.
The court consequently nullified relevant circulars issued in 2026 by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Education, insofar as they affected teachers and education officers.
The NLC therefore asked the FCT Administration to immediately remove the vacancy clause from teachers’ promotion requirements, allow eligible teachers excluded from the 2025 examination to participate with the 2026 candidates, and withdraw the redeployment letters issued to directors of educational agencies.
The congress gave the administration seven days from the receipt of the letter to meet the demands.
It warned that failure to do so would leave it with “no option but to direct all workers in the FCT to embark on an indefinite strike until our demands are met.”
The NLC said it remained open to dialogue and committed to industrial peace, but insisted that the continued neglect of FCT teachers’ welfare was no longer acceptable.
The FCT Secondary Education Board’s published promotion guidelines state that promotion is generally subject to the availability of vacancies, while eligible senior officers must sit for written examinations and satisfy other promotion conditions. However, the NLC is specifically challenging the application of the vacancy requirement to teachers in the territory.
- Interbank FX turnover jumps by $38.8m - September 11, 2026
- Court orders INEC to recognise, publish NDC’s modified logo - September 11, 2026
- NEPC targets export inclusion with free certificates for Kano PLWDs - September 11, 2026
