Strike Keeps Abuja Students at Home for Half a Year

Students in schools across Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, and the seat of Nigeria’s government have remained out of class for more than three months due to an unresolved strike action by teachers and local government workers. This closure has disrupted the education of thousands of school children across Abuja’s six Area Councils: Abuja Municipal, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Abaji, Kwali, and Kuje. Education experts warn that the prolonged shutdown may have long-term consequences for students in the FCT.

Nigeria is already grappling with an education crisis. According to UNICEF, the country has an estimated 18.3 million out-of-school children. 10.2 million at the primary level and 8.1 million at the junior secondary level. The ongoing strike has further compounded the problem.

In solidarity, civil society groups have taken legal action. The Assembly of Indigenous Youths of Abuja has filed a lawsuit against the FCT Administration and its six Area Councils, accusing them of violating citizens’ constitutional rights to life, dignity, and education.

On Monday, members of the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) demonstrated at the office of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, demanding immediate resolution of the crisis, payment of wages, and reinstatement of essential services.

Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa, in a statement through ministry spokesperson Boriowo Folasade, called on all parties to engage in dialogue and work in good faith to restore normalcy to the education sector.

Meanwhile, in the Gwagwalada Area Council, local community members have launched grassroots efforts to mitigate the impact of the shutdown. The Gwako 1 Community Students’ Association recently began a one-month tutorial programme for primary school pupils in the area. Organisers say the initiative is aimed at keeping children engaged and away from negative influences.

The federal government’s priorities are increasingly out of touch with the country’s urgent needs because despite the prolonged shutdown and lack of meaningful government intervention to end the crisis, President Bola Tinubu announced a new scholarship programme for students from Saint Lucia and other Eastern Caribbean countries to study in Nigerian universities, displaying the administration’s apparent neglect of its domestic education responsibilities.

The initiative, unveiled during Tinubu’s recent state visit to Saint Lucia, is part of a broader diplomatic effort to deepen ties with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). According to a statement from the presidency, the scholarship programme will commence in the next academic year, alongside a proposed visa waiver for holders of diplomatic and official passports from OECS member states.

However, the announcement has sparked criticism among Nigerians, particularly residents of the FCT, where public primary schools have been closed for over three months. The strike, which began on March 24, 2024, involves teachers and Area Council workers demanding payment of a 25-month salary backlog, implementation of the ₦70,000 minimum wage, and resolution of long-standing issues related to promotions and allowances.

The decision to launch an international scholarship programme for Caribbean students is ill-timed and poorly considered, particularly given the scale of the domestic education crisis.

At a time when children in the nation’s capital have been locked out of school for over 100 days, the president’s focus on exporting educational opportunities abroad comes across as deeply insensitive. The gesture, while diplomatically symbolic, does little to address the harsh reality faced by Nigerian students, teachers, and parents who are bearing the brunt of a broken system.

The situation reflects a growing disconnect between the federal government’s international ambitions and the lived experiences of ordinary Nigerians. As Abuja’s public schools remain shut, children are increasingly exposed to the dangers of street life, child labour, and social displacement, realities that demand urgent and sustained attention at the highest levels of government.

With the strike, the third in its series since 2024, and no concrete resolution in sight, President Tinubu is to act swiftly. Parents, education stakeholders, and civil society groups continue to demand immediate intervention, insisting that the government must first fix what is broken at home before projecting itself as a provider of academic opportunity on the global stage.