The Nigeria Union of Teachers, Federal Capital Territory wing, will decide on the future of its ongoing strike following a high-level meeting with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday.
Despite describing the engagement as positive, the union said the industrial action remains in force pending further consultations with its members.
Chairman of the union in the FCT, Abdulahi Shafa, told journalists that a final decision would be taken after internal deliberations.
“We will go back and review what was discussed with the minister before deciding our next line of action,” Shafa said.
He noted that the meeting addressed critical issues affecting teachers across primary, junior and senior secondary schools, including unpaid allowances, staff shortages and the role of Area Councils in funding basic education.
“It was a fruitful meeting. The minister has shown commitment and promised immediate action on some of the issues, including those he was not fully aware of before now,” he added.
Shafa also acknowledged ongoing efforts by the FCT Administration to improve school infrastructure.
“We appreciate the minister’s interventions in renovating and restructuring schools. Discussions are ongoing on the rights and welfare of our members,” he said.
However, he pointed out that the situation remains more challenging at the primary school level.
“The major concerns are at the primary school level, where there are gaps in entitlements and welfare,” he stated.
On his part, Wike said steps had been taken to tackle funding constraints, particularly in basic education.
He explained that Internally Generated Revenue allocations meant for Area Councils had been redirected to enable direct payment of teachers’ allowances.
“This is part of efforts to ensure that those responsible for basic education meet their obligations,” the minister said.
The union is expected to reconvene after consultations and announce its position in the coming days.
The strike began on Monday after the union directed teachers across the FCT to withdraw their services indefinitely, following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the minister over unresolved welfare issues.
While acknowledging the implementation of the new minimum wage and payment of some salary arrears, the union maintained that several demands—including promotion concerns and the implementation of a welfare committee report—remain outstanding.