Three area councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) — Abaji, Gwagwalada, and Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) — have begun paying the N70,000 new minimum wage demanded by their striking workers.
The payments were confirmed by staff of the councils, including teachers under the Local Education Authority (LEA) in Abaji. The chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Abaji, Usman Haruna Gana, confirmed that teachers had also received the new wage.
Some workers told reporters they received alerts for the new salary on Wednesday night, with many expressing relief. A staff member, Shuaibu Abdullahi, said he used the money to clear debts for food and school fees. Another, Mrs. Abigael Yohana, said she hoped other entitlements would also be paid soon.
Gwagwalada staff also confirmed receiving payments and shared their excitement on social media.
Despite this progress, workers in three other councils — Kwali, Bwari, and Kuje — have not yet been paid. The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) said the strike will continue until all pending entitlements are settled.
Comrade Abdullahi Ibrahim Kabir, NULGE President in the FCT, confirmed the payments by the three councils but warned that the strike won’t be suspended just yet. “There are still other unpaid benefits, and the chairmen must tell us when they will pay everything owed,” he said.
The strike, now over a month old, was sparked by the councils’ refusal to implement the new wage and settle other allowances. The council chairmen had earlier claimed that the N4.17 billion disbursed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike was not for wage payment — a claim the minister denied.
