The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has declared an indefinite strike in Abuja over unresolved disputes concerning the promotion and career progression of teachers.

The strike takes effect from Wednesday, October 7, 2026, following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCT Administration, FCTA.

The NLC had issued the ultimatum on September 8, demanding the resolution of long-standing welfare concerns affecting teachers in the FCT.

In a communique signed by the NLC FCT Council Chairman, Comrade Knabayi S. Adalo, the union rejected the FCTA’s response to the ultimatum, describing it as “ambiguous, dismissive and totally unacceptable.”

At the centre of the dispute is the FCTA’s implementation of a “vacancy clause”, which makes teachers’ promotion subject to the availability of vacancies.

The NLC argued that teachers are recruited specifically by the FCT Universal Basic Education Board, FCT UBEB, and the FCT Secondary Education Board, FCT SEB, to teach and should therefore not be subjected to the same promotion structure as core civil servants or pool officers.

The union maintained that vacancy-based promotion schemes were designed for pool officers and had resulted in prolonged career stagnation and demoralisation among teachers.