Victoria Mgbanwa
In a decisive step to end the prolonged strike by primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister Nyesom Wike is set to meet on Thursday with area council chairmen, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANs) to seal a resolution plan that could reopen all public primary schools in the FCT.
The upcoming meeting follows a series of high-level engagements aimed at addressing the root of the crisis, particularly the non-payment of teachers’ salaries by the six FCT area councils. NANs, which had earlier threatened a mass protest at the FCTA Secretariat on Wednesday, confirmed the meeting in a statement signed by its National President, Olushola Oladoja, and PRO, Adeyemi Ajasa.
According to NANs, the protest was suspended after its leadership was summoned to the Department of State Services (DSS) for a security-focused discussion, which was followed by a second meeting with House of Representatives FCT Committee Chair, Muktar Betara.
The core of the issue, NANs explained, lies in the FCT’s unique governance structure being the only part of the federation with full local government autonomy. This means that area councils, not the FCT Administration, bear full responsibility for paying primary school teachers.
Despite not being directly responsible for the salary arrears, Minister Wike intervened with a bailout proposal in which the FCTA would cover 60% of the outstanding payments, leaving the councils to provide the remaining 40%. However, with limited compliance from the councils, Wike took a tougher stance by withholding their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for May and June. These funds are now being redirected to settle the councils’ 40% share of the salary backlog.
NANs disclosed that the withheld funds are expected to be ready before the end of the week, potentially unlocking the resolution of the months-long impasse.
With optimism growing around the minister’s intervention, NANs announced the suspension of its planned protest but vowed to monitor implementation closely.
“We reaffirm our commitment to defending the rights of Nigerian students and ensuring that no child is denied access to education due to governmental lapses,” the statement added.
