NLC Shuts Down FCT Over Teachers’ Promotion Dispute

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Federal Capital Territory Council, has declared an indefinite strike across the FCT over unresolved issues surrounding the promotion and welfare of teachers.

The industrial action began on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

The NLC directed workers across the public and private sectors to withdraw their services, with schools, hospitals, government offices and other establishments expected to be affected by the strike.

At the centre of the dispute is the FCTA’s requirement that teachers must have available vacancies before they can be promoted. The NLC rejected the policy, arguing that teachers should be promoted when due and should not be subjected to a promotion system designed for pool officers.

The union said the vacancy requirement has contributed to career stagnation and demoralisation among teachers employed through the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) and Secondary Education Board (SEB).

Among its demands, the NLC is calling for the removal of the vacancy condition for teachers’ promotion and wants teachers who were eligible for promotion in 2025 to be allowed to sit for their promotion examinations before or alongside the 2026 candidates.

The labour body is also demanding the withdrawal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors affected by the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022, as well as the reinstatement of the dissolved management teams of the FCT SEB and UBEB.

The NLC said the FCTA’s response to its ultimatum failed to adequately address the issues, describing it as ambiguous and unacceptable.

The union has therefore directed its members to remain on strike until its demands are addressed, escalating the dispute into a wider shutdown of activities across the Federal Capital Territory.

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