FCT: NUT orders primary, secondary school teachers to join JUAC strike 

An emergency State Wing Standing Committee at the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has directed all primary and secondary school teachers to join the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC).

This was contained in a communique issued after a meeting held on Sunday, at the FCT Teachers’ House, Gwagwalada, signed by Comrades Abdulahi Shafa, State Chairman; Margaret Jethro, State Secretary; and Ibukun Adekeye, State Publicity Secretary, and sighted by Tribune Online.

The communique directed the teachers to join the strike with immediate effect from Monday, 26, January, 2026.

The communique reads: “Having discussed exhaustively on the way and matter in which the strike was organized by JUAC and the reservations of the NUT, but noting the intervention and directives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for all its affiliate Unions in FCT to join and escalate the strike, the meeting resolved as follows:

“All Primary and Secondary School Teachers in the FCT are to join the ongoing strike with immediate effect from Monday, 26th January, 2026.

“In pursuit of justice and to demonstrate our collective resolve, all teachers within and around the city should converge at the National Industrial Court (NIC) Gimbiya Street Area 11, Abuja, on Monday, 26th January, 2026 by 7:00 am, for the hearing of the case instituted against JUAC.

“The Union is poised for continuous engagement with the authority on Teachers’ outstanding demands.”

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Recall that activities at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) were brought to a halt on Monday, 19th January, 2026, as JUAC, the umbrella body of FCTA/FCDA workers, commenced an indefinite strike action over demands for improved working conditions.

The FCTA later came out to say ten out of the fourteen demands of the workers were met, adding that other demands were being looked into with a view to addressing them.

Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who disclosed in a statement on Monday, said top officials of the FCTA have held several meetings with union leaders, including on Saturday and Sunday.

He said in one of the meetings held with Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) leaders on Friday, January 16, the demands as well as the interventions of the FCT Minister were laid bare, and at no point did the Minister express unwillingness to address any of the demands.

According to Olayinka, an appeal was made to JUAC Officials that other pending issues were not severe enough to warrant the declaration of strike action, and that dialogue should be adopted in resolving all other issues affecting staff welfare in the FCTA.

Meanwhile, the National Industrial Court (NICN) in Abuja has issued an Order of Interlocutory Injunction, prohibiting the leaders of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) workers’ union, their agents, and members from embarking on strikes, picketing, lockouts, road blockades, or any action aimed at shutting down the administration’s activities.

In a ruling on Thursday, January 21, 2026, Honourable Justice E. D. Subilim granted an application filed by the Minister of the FCT and the FCTA, restraining the union officials from proceeding with the industrial action.

The defendants, Rifkatu Iortyer and Abdullahi Umar Saleh, identified as President and Secretary of the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC), were not present in court.

The FCTA’s legal team, led by Dr Ogwu J. Onoja, SAN, argued that the proposed strike was illegal and would paralyse the administration’s operations.

Justice Subilim, who held that the applicants had established a case warranting judicial intervention, stated that the case had been adjourned to Monday, January 26, 2026, for a hearing of the Motion on Notice.