Wike to Meet FCT Council Chairmen, NUT, NANS Over Strike 

The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, will convene a critical meeting on Thursday with the chairmen of all six FCT area councils, leaders of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and representatives of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). The aim is to finalise arrangements for reopening every public primary school in Abuja.

According to a joint statement released on Wednesday by NANS National President Olushola Oladoja and PRO Adeyemi Ajasa, students had planned a mass protest at the FCTA Secretariat earlier in the week to demand an end to the prolonged school lockdown.

That demonstration was called off after NANS leaders were invited to discuss the issue at the Department of State Services (DSS) headquarters, where concerns about security and pupils’ welfare dominated the talks.

Following the DSS engagement, NANS held a second round of discussions with Muktar Betara, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the FCT. This meeting clarified the underlying reasons for the NUT strike and reviewed steps already taken by the Wike administration to address unpaid teacher salaries.

A third meeting took place on Tuesday with Minister Wike himself, during which he outlined the challenges causing the standoff. Wike explained that, unlike other states, the FCT operates a system of full local government autonomy. This means area councils, not the FCT Administration, handle salary payments for primary school staff.

To break the deadlock, Wike offered a financial rescue package: the FCTA would cover 60 percent of the outstanding salary arrears, while the area councils would pay the remaining 40 percent. When the councils fell short of their share, Wike suspended their internally generated revenue (IGR) for May and June. He plans to redirect those withheld funds to fulfil the council’s 40 percent obligation and clear two months of unpaid wages by week’s end.

Buoyed by these interventions and early progress, NANS has agreed to postpone its protest. The students’ body will continue monitoring the implementation of every resolution. “We remain dedicated to protecting students’ rights and ensuring no child misses school because of payment delays,” NANS leaders affirmed.