FCT Teachers Suspend Strike, Resume Work After Agreement With GovernmentAgreement

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, has suspended its indefinite strike over unresolved labour disputes affecting teachers and other education officers, directing affected workers to resume duty on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.

The decision followed negotiations involving the NLC, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Government & Labour Unions Reach Agreement Over FCT Teacher's Strike.

The NLC FCT Council Chairman, Knabayi Adalo, announced the suspension in a communiqué issued on Tuesday, October 20, following an emergency State Executive Council meeting in Abuja.

According to the union, the parties reached agreements on teachers’ career progression, promotion opportunities and the redeployment of senior education officers benefiting from the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers.

The agreement provides that promotion vacancies for education officers will align with established positions declared by the FCT Education Secretariat. A new date will also be announced for the 2025 promotion examination to enable eligible officers to participate.

On the redeployment dispute, stakeholders agreed to maintain the FCT Executive Council’s directive suspending the process until further notice.

NLC Warns Against Failure to Implement Agreement

Despite suspending the strike, the labour union warned that industrial action could resume automatically if the FCTA and other relevant authorities fail to implement the agreed resolutions within the stipulated timelines.

The council said it would establish a monitoring committee to track compliance. It also assured workers who participated in the strike that they would not face victimisation, penalties or reprisals for joining the industrial action.

How the FCT Teachers’ Strike Started

The suspension follows the industrial action that began on October 7, 2026, after the NLC directed workers in the FCT Administration to commence an indefinite strike over unresolved labour disputes.

As reported in our earlier article, the dispute involved concerns about the redeployment of 360 senior education officers to classroom duties, alongside disagreements over promotion opportunities and career progression.

Read - FCT Minister Wike Accused of Demoted 360 FCT Senior Education officials to Classrooms Teachers - 12th Oct, 2026

The development also attracted the attention of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who directed area council chairpersons to enforce the “no work, no pay” policy against participating workers.

For the full background to the dispute and the events that led to the strike, read our earlier report:

FCT Minister Wike Accused of Demoting 360 FCT Senior Education Officials to Classroom

What Happens Next?

Affected teachers and workers are expected to resume their duties on Wednesday, October 21, while the union monitors the implementation of the agreement.

The next steps include announcing a new date for the 2025 promotion examination and ensuring compliance with the resolutions on promotion vacancies and the disputed redeployment process.

Whether the suspension leads to a lasting resolution will depend on the implementation of the agreement by the relevant authorities.

Source: Premium Times - NLC Suspends Indefinite Strike in Abuja, October 20, 2026.