Primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have announced they will join the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in a mass protest scheduled for Wednesday, July 2, 2025. The demonstration is in response to the continued closure of public primary schools in Abuja, now stretching beyond two months.
A senior member of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the development:
“We, the primary school teachers, will be joining the NANS-organised protest next tomorrow, by God’s grace.”
The closure stems from an unresolved dispute between the FCT Administration and Local Government Education Authorities. Despite multiple calls for resolution, the government has yet to take concrete action, prompting widespread frustration among stakeholders.
Adding to tensions, an insider accused the FCT Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Stephen Knabayi, of allegedly undermining the efforts of the aggrieved teachers and students.
“His actions appear to be sabotaging our struggle,” the source claimed.
NANS, in a formal protest notice (Ref No: NANS/Ref/05/9100) dated June 30 and signed by its President, Olushola Oladoja, condemned the prolonged closure as “unacceptable” and “a grave injustice to Nigerian children.”
The association had earlier issued a seven-day ultimatum to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to reopen the schools. With the deadline now expired, NANS says it has no choice but to mobilise mass action.
“Thousands of children, especially from low-income families, have been deprived of basic education for more than two months,” the statement read.
“Despite repeated appeals, letters, and requests for dialogue, the authorities have failed to act.”
Describing the government’s silence as a “deliberate act of negligence,” NANS has now directed all its structures in the FCT and surrounding states — including Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, and Kaduna — to mobilise students, civil society groups, and education advocates for the protest.
“Zone A and Zone C NANS leaderships are to begin immediate coordination for this mass protest demanding the immediate reopening of all public primary schools in the FCT,” the statement concluded.
