Activist Aisha Yesufu has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to urgently intervene in the ongoing teachers’ strike, warning that continued inaction could cripple basic education in Abuja.
Her intervention follows the decision of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, FCT Wing, to commence an indefinite strike on Monday, April 20, 2026, over unresolved welfare issues and the non-implementation of a committee report submitted since August 2025.
In a statement uploaded on her X handle on Monday, Yesufu described the situation as a preventable crisis, stressing that teachers do not embark on strikes without being pushed to their limits.
“Enough is enough. When teachers lay down their tools, it is never because they want to. It is because they have been pushed to the wall,” she said.
She warned that the impact of the strike would fall most heavily on schoolchildren rather than government officials.
“And when teachers are pushed to the wall, what suffers first is not government pride, it is the future of children,” she added.
According to her, reports from the FCT wing of the union indicate that a committee inaugurated in July 2025 to address teachers’ entitlements had completed its work and submitted its report in August, yet it remains unreleased and unimplemented.
“The reports coming from the FCT Nigeria Union of Teachers are deeply troubling. Teachers are saying there is a committee report that was concluded since August 2025, yet it has not been released or implemented,” she said.
She also cited unresolved entitlements and promotion delays as key drivers of the crisis.
“They are saying entitlements remain unresolved. They are saying promotions are being trapped in bureaucracy that makes no sense in a system that claims to value education,” Yesufu stated.
The activist warned that the strike, if prolonged, would have dire consequences for pupils across the territory.
“Let it be clear. When classrooms are shut, it is not government officials who feel it first. It is the child in Primary 1 trying to learn how to read,” she said.
“It is the girl who dreams of becoming a doctor. It is the boy who sees education as his only ladder out of poverty.”
Directly addressing Wike, Yesufu urged immediate action to prevent a total shutdown of schools.
“Mr Nyesom Wike, leadership is not about silence when systems are breaking. Leadership is about stepping in before collapse becomes reality,” she said.
She added that the demands of the teachers were clear and actionable.
“Release the report. Implement what has been agreed. Fix the promotion bottlenecks. End the cycle of avoidable industrial crises that always end with the child as the victim,” she said.
The union had, after an emergency meeting of its State Wing Executive Council in Gwagwalada, directed teachers across the six area councils to withdraw their services indefinitely until their demands are met.
The demands include the release and implementation of the harmonisation committee report on outstanding entitlements, as well as resolution of promotion and welfare issues affecting teachers.
While the FCT Administration had previously intervened in areas such as the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage and partial payment of arrears, lingering concerns over entitlements and career progression have continued to fuel tensions.
Yesufu warned that continued delay could further erode confidence in public education.
“Because what is the value of governance if the classroom is empty? What is the meaning of authority if children are the ones paying the price for unresolved administrative delays?” she asked.
She concluded with a call for urgent action to avert long-term damage to the education system.
“Act now, before classrooms go silent.”
