By Sarah NEGEDU
After nearly four months of industrial action, teachers in public primary schools across Federal Capital Territory will return to classrooms from Wednesday, July 9, following the suspension of the strike by the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT.
The breakthrough came Tuesday night, as NUT confirmed that its members had received payment alerts covering the new minimum wage and five months of salary arrears, part of the financial commitments made during a high-level intervention by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
NUT, in a communique issued after an emergency meeting of its State Wing Executive Council, SWEC, said the decision follows the release of N16 billion by the six Area Councils, representing six months’ worth of their 10 percent Internally Generated Revenue, as agreed during last week’s intervention by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The communique which was jointly signed by FCT Chairman of the NUT, Abdullahi Shafas, along with the State Secretary, Margaret Jethro and the State Publicity Secretary, Ibukun Adekeye, stated that, “The SWEC-In-Session resolved to suspend the Strike action on the release of the N16 billion and its payment 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.
