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Teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have officially called off their strike after staying away from classrooms for over three months. This decision comes as a huge relief for thousands of pupils and parents who have endured disrupted learning since March this year.
According to the FCT chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the strike was suspended after the Federal Government released a whopping N16 billion to pay the backlog of salaries owed to teachers.
The teachers had been protesting the non-payment of their new minimum wage and salary arrears for months. Many of them had not received their proper salaries for up to five months, which forced the union to declare an indefinite strike in March 2025.
After many weeks of negotiation and pressure from parents, pupils, and education stakeholders, the Honourable Minister of the FCT intervened. He promised to settle the debt and ensure that teachers are paid their outstanding entitlements.
In a statement released on Tuesday, July 8, the NUT confirmed that the funds had finally been paid. Teachers have now received their salaries and arrears in full.
The statement read, “All primary school teachers in FCT are to, 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.”
The union, in a communiqué signed after an emergency meeting in Abuja, said that the strike would be suspended immediately. They also promised parents and students that teaching and learning will resume without any further disruption.
Many parents have welcomed the decision, describing it as a “big relief” especially as pupils in government schools have lost valuable time in the current academic calendar.
One parent, Mrs. Florence Adebayo, said, “I am happy our children will go back to school. This has caused so much stress. Some of us had to pay extra for private lessons just to keep our children busy.”
A teacher in Gwagwalada, Mr. Emmanuel Okoro, said he was glad the union stood firm. “It was not easy for us. We have families too. It feels good to be paid after all these months. We hope this does not happen again.”
The Honourable Minister of the FCT thanked the teachers for their patience and assured them that measures will be put in place to avoid delays in salary payments in future.
For now, pupils across Abuja’s primary schools can look forward to returning to their classrooms on Wednesday, 9th July, as teaching resumes fully.
Education experts have urged the government to find lasting solutions to the problem of unpaid salaries to ensure that strikes do not continue to disrupt the education of young Nigerians.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers said it will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that any remaining entitlements are fully settled in the coming weeks.
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