FCT Schools Face Uncertain Monday as Teachers Deliberate on Wike’s New Offers

Public primary and secondary schools across the Federal Capital Territory are currently in a state of flux as the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) prepares to decide whether to call off its five-day-old strike. Following a high-level meeting with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike on Thursday and Friday, the union leadership is now consulting its various branches to determine if the government’s fresh commitments are enough to resume classes on Monday.  

The strike, which began on Monday, April 20, was sparked by unresolved welfare issues, including the non-payment of the 25% and 35% salary increments and the 40% peculiar allowance. While primary schools under the six Area Councils have been the most affected, the situation is complicated by a sharp division within the teaching ranks. The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) has officially pulled out of the strike, directing its members to remain in classrooms, arguing that many of the grievances primarily affect primary school staff and have already been addressed for secondary teachers.  

In a separate move to address infrastructure in the education sector, Minister Wike has granted an immediate waiver of all Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) fees for the Nigerian Law School, Abuja campus. During a visit to the Bwari campus, the Minister expressed shock that the premier legal institution had operated for years without formal land documentation.  

Beyond the fee waiver, the Minister declared a “state of emergency” on the school’s infrastructure, approving the immediate completion of staff housing units and the renovation of dilapidated hostels. While the Law School management celebrates this administrative win, thousands of parents in the FCT are left waiting for the NUT’s official communique, expected later tonight, to know if their children will return to school on Monday morning.