The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has suspended its planned mass protest over the prolonged closure of public primary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) following a series of intensive, yet breakthrough, meetings with security agencies, lawmakers, and the FCT Administration. The strike, which has lasted over 100 days, has left thousands of children, primarily from low-income families, without access to basic education.
In a statement released yesterday, NANS President Olushola Oladoja detailed the outcomes of the engagements held on Tuesday, July 2, 2025. The student body’s leadership was initially set to lead a mass protest by 7 am at the FCTA Secretariat. However, it was instead invited to a high-level meeting at the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS). The two-hour session focused on the crisis’s impact on national security and the welfare of students.
Following this, NANS leaders met with the Chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Muktar Betara, who provided insights into the root causes of the strike initiated by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT). The discussions further highlighted the efforts by the FCT Administration, under the leadership of Minister Nyesom Wike, to resolve the impasse.
A third and decisive meeting was held between the FCT Minister, the NANS leadership, and other stakeholders. It was established that the FCT operates full local government autonomy, making Area Councils solely responsible for salary payments, including those of primary school teachers. Consequently, the FCT Administration explained that it is not directly accountable for the backlog of teachers’ salaries and should not bear sole blame for the crisis.