The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared a total and indefinite strike across Nigeria’s capital. The council directed workers in both the public and private sectors to withdraw their services from Wednesday, October 7.
The directive followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on September 8, 2026. The ultimatum was over unresolved welfare issues affecting teachers in the FCT.
In a communique signed by the NLC FCT Council Chairman, Comrade Knabayi S. Adalo, the union rejected the FCTA’s response to the ultimatum. It described the response as “ambiguous, dismissive and totally unacceptable.”
A major point of contention is the FCTA’s implementation of a “vacancy clause”. The clause makes the promotion of teachers subject to the availability of vacancies.
The NLC argued that teachers were recruited by the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) and the FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB) to teach. Therefore, the union said, they should not be treated like core civil servants or pool staff.
According to the Congress, applying vacancy-based promotion to teachers could cause prolonged career stagnation and affect their morale.
Union Demands And Strike Enforcement
Among the union’s demands is the immediate removal of the vacancy clause as a condition for teachers’ promotion.
The NLC also demanded that eligible 2025 candidates be allowed to sit for promotion examinations alongside, or before, the 2026 candidates.
It further called for the reversal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors who benefit from the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022.
That law raised the retirement age for teachers in Nigeria. The union also demanded the dissolution and reinstatement of management teams at the FCT SEB and FCT UBEB.
Consequently, the NLC directed all public and private sector workers to stay away from work from October 7 until its demands are met.
This includes affiliate unions in schools, hospitals, offices and government establishments. Enforcement committees have been directed to mobilise workers and monitor compliance across the FCT.
Explaining the union’s position, Adalo said teachers should not be subjected to a promotion system designed for pool officers.
“Teachers are not core civil servants nor pool staff and cannot be subjected to vacancy-based promotion meant for pool officers. The FCTA’s attempt to sustain industrial harmony without addressing injustice is mere wishful thinking. There can be no peace without justice,” he said.
The NLC urged parents, residents and civil society organisations in the FCT to support the industrial action.
It warned that failure to address the issues could lead to what it described as the total collapse of the territory’s education sector.
Port Harcourt Refinery Workers Protest Unpaid Salaries
Meanwhile, Support Staff Union members of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) have protested the delay in the payment of their seven months’ salaries.
They also rejected the non-implementation of a new salary structure recently approved by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari.
The workers gave the management of the NNPCL a 48-hour ultimatum to implement the new salary structure. They threatened a total shutdown of the PHRC, located in Eleme, Rivers State.
The protesting workers barricaded the entrance of the PHRC on Monday. They displayed placards and mounted tents in front of the refinery gate, temporarily disrupting activities at the complex.
They alleged that after the NNPCL GCEO gave the approval, the Refinery Coordinator refused to implement it. The aggrieved union members said the peaceful protest was against what they described as injustice and marginalisation at the refinery.
They listed four key demands. These include implementation of the approved salary structure and remuneration package in line with the applicable approval and effective date.
They also want approval of the requested ₦1m housing/rent relief for eligible support staff.
Other demands include urgent payment of their seven months’ outstanding salaries and other entitlements.
They also want improved consultation among the Refinery Coordinator, managing directors, relevant management authorities and recognised labour representatives.
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