Workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have begun an indefinite strike in Abuja over unresolved welfare concerns.
The development was reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.
The strike saw staff under the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC) shut the gates of the FCTA secretariat, halting normal operations.
The workers said the action was necessary to compel the administration to address long-standing issues affecting their pay, benefits, and working conditions.
What they are saying
The president of JUAC, Mrs. Rifkatu Iortyer, told journalists that the strike was driven by several unresolved grievances.
These included the non-remittance of pension and National Housing Fund contributions, non-payment of salaries, overheads, and arrears from previous wage awards.
She also highlighted centralized salary processing, the non-payment of staff at the Abuja Environment Protection Board and Social Development Secretariat, and the absence of a financial threshold for Permanent Secretaries and heads of agencies.
“Angry workers on Monday shut the gates of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) as they began an indefinite strike over unresolved welfare concerns.
“The workers, under the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), have been appealing for urgent action to resolve the welfare issues affecting their morale and productivity.
“The president of the union, Mrs Rifkatu Iortyer, told journalists that some of the concerns included non-remittance of pension and National Housing Fund deductions and no payments or overheads,” the NAN report read in part.
More insights
Other issues highlighted by Iortyer included unpaid promotion arrears, poor working conditions, staff intimidation, and limited opportunities for training and retraining.
The union also opposed the mass failure recorded in the 2024 promotion examination and called for its reversal. She noted that these problems were long-standing, causing hardship and frustration for staff who have dedicated their careers to public service.
JUAC had previously shut the gates of the FCTA secretariat in June 2025 in a similar protest to draw attention to these unresolved welfare concerns.
The union has stated that the strike will continue indefinitely until the administration engages meaningfully with the workers.
What you should know
Strikes by professionals in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have been a recurring pattern over the past few years.
In January 2025, the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD-FCTA) called off a warning strike after the intervention of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. The resolution followed the payment of six months’ salary arrears, approval of accoutrement allowances, and other measures addressing long-standing grievances.
- Also in September 2025, resident doctors in Abuja launched an indefinite strike over unpaid salaries, stalled promotions, and worsening hospital conditions. This followed a seven-day ultimatum and a prior warning strike that failed to elicit government response.
- Primary school teachers in the FCT staged a prolonged strike in 2025. They suspended the action only after partial payment of their outstanding entitlements. Their protest, which began in March, was over unpaid minimum wage arrears and other unresolved welfare concerns.
The current JUAC strike at the FCTA secretariat continues this trend, highlighting persistent staff grievances in the territory.
