Wike Orders Seizure of Area Councils’ IGR to Pay Abuja Teachers After Three-Month Strike

By Olatunji Adesina

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has directed the immediate forfeiture of 10% of the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) accrued by the six Area Councils over the past six months to settle outstanding salaries owed to primary school teachers. This decisive move follows a protracted three-month strike that left thousands of pupils out of classrooms across Abuja.

The decision was reached late Thursday after a closed-door meeting involving Minister Wike, Area Council chairmen, the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), representatives of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), and members of the National Assembly. The seized funds are expected to cover approximately 70% of the salary arrears owed to teachers by the Area Councils.

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Key Resolutions:

• 10% of six months’ IGR forfeited: Area Councils agreed to forgo this revenue to address the teachers’ wage crisis.
• 70% of salary arrears to be paid: The funds will be used to settle the majority of outstanding salaries, with the hope that teachers will call off the strike and resume classes.
• Committee established: A committee comprising stakeholders from the NUT, NANS, Area Councils, and the FCT Administration has been set up to address other unresolved issues and is expected to submit a report within two weeks.

Outstanding Issues Still on the Table:

• Non-implementation and payment of 25% and 35% salary increases.
• Non-payment of the 40% peculiar allowance.
• Non-payment of the N35,000 wage award.
• Failure to implement the 2022 agreement on teachers’ entitlements.

Teachers had embarked on the indefinite strike in March, citing years of neglect, unpaid minimum wage arrears, and unfulfilled agreements. The industrial action triggered mass protests by teachers, students, and civil society groups, with mounting pressure on the FCT Administration to act.

Minister Wike acknowledged the extraordinary nature of the intervention, noting that while the seizure of council IGR was not strictly legal, it was necessary to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy to the education sector. Area Council chairmen expressed concern over the impact on their finances but agreed to the measure in the interest of students and the wider community.

There is growing optimism that, with this intervention, the teachers’ union will soon call off the strike, allowing pupils to return to school after months of disruption.