Chairmen of the Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have appealed to public primary school teachers in Abuja to call off their ongoing strike following the commencement of payments under the new ₦70,000 minimum wage.
Speaking on behalf of the FCT chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) during a press briefing on Tuesday, John Gabaya—ALGON Secretary and Chairman of Bwari Area Council—confirmed that the councils have started implementing the new wage.
Teachers, under the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), have been on strike over the failure of area councils to implement the new minimum wage and address other outstanding entitlements. The industrial action, which began with two walkouts in December 2024, resumed in February and has continued since March, severely disrupting public primary education across the FCT.
Gabaya, joined by ALGON Chairman and Kwali Area Council Chairman Danladi Chiya, called on the teachers to return to the negotiating table.
“This press briefing is about the ongoing strike, mainly over the implementation of the new national minimum wage,” Gabaya said. “As of last Thursday, all six area councils began paying the ₦70,000 minimum wage in line with the approved Federal Government template. We urge the NUT and NULGE to suspend the strike and resume work so we can discuss and resolve other outstanding issues, including arrears.”
He emphasized that the well-being of schoolchildren remains the primary concern, adding, “We want our children back in school. That is our main priority.”
Also speaking, ALGON Chairman Chiya made a heartfelt appeal to the teachers, stressing the need to consider the impact of the strike on pupils.
“We are simply asking that our children be allowed to return to school, especially now that the minimum wage is being implemented,” Chiya said. “We remain open to continued dialogue with the unions and sincerely urge the teachers to end the strike.”
