By Peter Omopo
Abuja | July 4, 2025 — In a decisive move to end the protracted strike by public school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the six Area Council chairmen have agreed to forfeit 10 percent of their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for the next six months.
The agreement was reached on Thursday during a closed-door meeting convened by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, with leaders of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), and the six Area Council chairmen. The meeting was held at the minister’s official residence in Abuja.
Teachers in the FCT have been on strike for over three months, demanding the implementation of a tripartite agreement signed on December 11, 2024. Their demands include a ₦70,000 minimum wage, payment of 25–35% salary arrears, a 40% peculiar allowance, the ₦35,000 wage award announced by the Federal Government, and outstanding promotion arrears.
Speaking after the meeting, Abubakar Abdullahi, Chairman of Abaji Area Council, who represented the council chairmen, said the strike had been effectively resolved. He confirmed that the councils agreed to surrender a portion of their IGR to pay the backlog of teachers’ salaries and allowances.
“It’s a painful decision,” Abdullahi said. “But we resolved to take it in the interest of our children and the future of education in the FCT. Our six-month IGR has been completely earmarked to settle this issue.”
He appealed to the leadership of the NUT to immediately call off the strike, stressing that continued closure of schools would only harm the pupils.
The development marks a significant breakthrough in the deadlock between the teachers and local authorities, with expectations high that academic activities will resume soon across FCT public schools.
