The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter, has instructed its members to withdraw services from January 27, 2026, in solidarity with the ongoing industrial action by workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
The directive aligns local government employees with the broader labour protest over welfare issues.
The decision was announced in a communiqué jointly signed by NULGE FCT President Ibrahim Kabi and Secretary Sa’ad Abdulmumini after an emergency meeting of the union’s State Executive Council in Abuja.
The union said the strike follows calls from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and directives from NULGE’s national leadership.
The industrial action began on January 19, 2026, when workers under the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) commenced an indefinite strike over unresolved welfare concerns, including unpaid entitlements and promotion arrears.
NULGE stated that the issues raised by JUAC affect local government staff across all six FCT Area Councils.
“All NULGE members across the six Area Councils are to withdraw their services effective January 27, 2026,” the communiqué said, adding that the strike “will also serve as a platform to press home pending demands currently being negotiated between the FCT Minister and the ministerial committee.”
The union urged members to stand firm, noting that industrial action was considered a last resort after other avenues failed to yield progress on key welfare demands. NULGE’s directive places additional pressure on the FCT administration as public services and local council operations face increased disruption.
The National Industrial Court had on January 21 granted an interlocutory injunction, at the instance of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, to halt the strike and ordered a return to work. The case was adjourned to January 27, coinciding with NULGE’s planned walkout.
In related developments, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT chapter, also directed all primary and secondary school teachers to join the strike, following an NLC directive to affiliate unions to escalate the action. This has prompted expectations of widespread public school closures in Abuja.
The escalating labour action underscores mounting tensions between organised labour and the FCT administration over worker welfare and pay implementation.
With labour unions consolidating support and scheduling solidarity actions, the dispute is poised to remain a major governance and public service issue in the nation’s capital.
The next legal and negotiation milestones are expected around the January 27 court hearing and ongoing dialogue between union leaders and FCTA authorities, which could shape the trajectory of service delivery and labour relations in the FCT.
