Millions of Children Out of School as LEA Strike Persists — FAME Foundation Calls for Urgent Government Action

Since March 24, 2025, primary school children in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory have been left at home following the indefinite strike by teachers under the Local Education Authority (LEA). This crisis began after area council chairmen failed to implement the ₦70,000 minimum wage and other key entitlements that were agreed upon earlier in the year. Teachers, under the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), had initially called off a strike in February with hopes that their demands would be met. However, when the February salary was paid without reflecting the new wage and associated benefits, frustration boiled over, and the strike resumed.

The strike has since created a ripple effect, with classrooms abandoned and learning abruptly halted. For many children, especially those in public schools, education is now on hold indefinitely. Parents have expressed concern as their children remain idle at home, with no access to structured learning. Without the routine and focus that school provides, families are beginning to worry about their children falling behind—not just academically, but in terms of discipline, motivation, and mental engagement.

The strike has hit girls particularly hard in communities where early marriage and gender-based expectations already threaten their education. With no clear return date in sight, the risk of permanent dropouts is growing by the day. The longer this impasse continues, the more children fall behind, not just academically but developmentally.

FAME Foundation calls on the government to take full responsibility and act without further delay to end the ongoing LEA strike. The situation is deeply worrying, not just for parents and teachers, but for the future of our country. Children should be in school, not stuck at home with no idea when learning will continue. Many of them rely on public schools as their only hope for a better life. If this strike continues, we risk losing a whole generation to poverty, crime, and hopelessness. Teachers deserve fair treatment, but children also deserve a chance to learn, grow, and dream. We urge the government to listen, to act in good faith, and to make education a priority not in words, but in action. The time to act is now.