As infrastructure projects soar in Abuja, a prolonged teacher strike has left thousands of children locked out of public primary schools and out of their futures.
In Abuja, the seat of Nigeria’s government, over 400 public primary schools remain closed, leaving tens of thousands of children out of school since March 2025.
While the city pulses with political activity and multi-billion-naira infrastructure projects, its most vulnerable citizens, primary school pupils, are paying the price for institutional neglect.
The indefinite strike by primary school teachers, which has persisted for over 100 days, is rooted in unresolved issues around the national minimum wage and months of unpaid salaries.
The Abuja chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has consistently raised the alarm, but what has been met with response from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has been political rhetoric and administrative detachment.
This is not just a labor dispute; it is a full-blown education emergency. Children missing out on foundational learning suffer academic, emotional, and social setbacks that many never recover from.
A functioning education system is the bedrock of development, yet the current FCT leadership appears to prioritize political optics over foundational investments.
Roads and buildings may beautify a city, but they do not educate a child or uplift a community. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The future depends on what you do today.” By keeping these children out of school, we are mortgaging the nation’s future for superficial gains in the present.
In contrast to the growing backlog of unpaid salaries for teachers, the FCTA recently spent ₦39 billion for the renovation of the International Conference Centre and other “strategic” projects.
While infrastructure development is important, no edifice is more strategic than a child’s mind. Our political leaders must be reminded that the true test of leadership is not measured by roads and buildings, but by the minds and futures we invest in.
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), mandated to ensure equitable access to quality basic education, has been too quiet in this crisis. As the federal oversight body, UBEC must reassert its role, not only in funding but in enforcing accountability.
It must demand that local education authorities meet their wage obligations, provide emergency support where needed, and ensure no child remains outside the classroom due to administrative lapses.
The current crisis calls for a recalibration of policy priorities and the courage to confront hard truths. The ongoing shutdown of primary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) must be treated as a national crisis.
When children are denied access to foundational education for extended periods, the consequences are long-term and severe, academically, socially, and emotionally. The learning gaps created during this period may never be fully recovered, and the cost to the nation’s future cannot be overstated.
At the core of this crisis is a failure to meet basic obligations to educators. The welfare of teachers must be recognized as central to the education system’s effectiveness.
No learning can take place without motivated, supported professionals in the classroom. Governments must fulfill wage obligations promptly and fairly. By ensuring teachers are paid consistently and competitively, the system will be better positioned to attract and retain qualified educators who are critical to long-term reform.
Public spending must reflect our national priorities. At a time when political infrastructure projects dominate the FCT’s headlines, the absence of basic investment in education is both glaring and indefensible.
Funding should be reallocated from non-essential construction to urgently improve school infrastructure, recruit more teachers, and strengthen classroom learning. The FCT’s budget should make a clear and visible commitment to restoring and advancing education outcomes.
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) must actively intervene, both through emergency financial support and strengthened oversight. This includes enforcing transparency in fund disbursement and working closely with the FCT Administration to ensure accountability. A robust, collaborative framework is essential to avoid future shutdowns and restore confidence in public education.
The FCT Administration sits at the heart of Nigeria’s political system, with unmatched access to national institutions and federal resources. Solving this crisis is not a matter of capacity, it is a matter of will.
Children’s education must be elevated above political priorities. This is a moment for the FCTA to demonstrate leadership by making basic education a non-negotiable right and not a bargaining chip.
Every week, these children are locked out of classrooms, and the learning gap widens. Families unable to afford private schools are pushed further into cycles of poverty and inequality. A 9-year-old in Kuje or Bwari council areas who has been out of school for three months is not just behind in math and reading; he is increasingly disengaged from society.
When the government fails to educate its children, it unwittingly creates conditions for social unrest, crime, and long-term underdevelopment. Basic education is not charity, it is a constitutional right under Nigeria’s Universal Basic Education Act and the Child Rights Act.
In the race to develop Abuja, we must not forget who we are building it for. Let that legacy be one of restored classrooms, empowered teachers, and children whose futures were protected, not postponed.
Education is not just another line item; it is the cornerstone of peace, prosperity, and progress.
