..As govt releases N16bn
Favour Ishember, Abuja
After almost four months of strike, teachers in the public primary schools in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT on Tuesday called off their action.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) announced that its members will resume classes today Wednesday, July 9.
This decision followed a significant development on Tuesday evening, when teachers received payment notifications covering their new minimum wage and five months of outstanding salary payments.
This payment is part of the agreements reached during a recent high-level intervention led by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
The NUT’s State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) convened an emergency meeting and subsequently released a statement confirming the suspension of the strike.
According to the communique signed by NUT’s FCT Chairman Abdullahi Shafas, State Secretary Margaret Jethro, and State Publicity Secretary Ibukun Adekeye, the decision was made following the release of N16 billion by the six Area Councils.
This amount represents six months’ worth of their 10% Internally Generated Revenue, as agreed upon during the intervention. The SWEC resolution emphasized that the strike suspension is contingent upon the release and payment of these funds to the teachers’ accounts.
“Consequent upon the implementation of the New Minimum Wage and payment of five months Arrears into the teachers accounts today, 8th July 2025; the SWEC, hereby suspends the ongoing strike action”.
The communique therefore directed all primary school teachers to resume normal duties “with effect from Wednesday, 9th July 2025 return to the classrooms and continue with their legitimate duties while the Union intensifies more efforts to ensure the settlement of the remaining entitlements.”
While the union criticised what it called the “insensitivity and lack of commitment” by education stakeholders in the FCT, it praised the minister’s recent intervention, which compelled the six Area Council Chairmen to release N16 billion from their IGR share to settle part of the backlog.
“The SWEC In Session noted that the Honourable Minister reiterated the payment of FCT Primary School Teachers Salaries is the responsibility of the Area Councils but emphasised the inadequacy of their allocation to cater for the payment and therefore offered the release of the Area Councils six months 10% FCT accrued Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) amounting to N16 billion to augment for the payment of the New Minimum Wage for June and 60% of its nine months arrears.”
The union also welcomed Wike’s proposal to set up a special committee “to harmonize all outstanding arrears” and work out a permanent funding solution for primary school teachers’ emoluments.
While suspending the strike, the NUT extended gratitude to its members “for their unwavering support, solidarity, cooperation and prayers,” and acknowledged the role played by royal fathers, civil society organisations and other well-meaning Nigerians during the crisis.
The FCT NUT had been on strike since March 24, 2025, over the non-implementation of a 2022 agreement that included promotion arrears, wage awards, and salary increases.
