The Association for Orphans and Vulnerable Children NGOs in Nigeria (AONN), FCT Chapter, has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to take urgent steps to end the ongoing strikes by primary school teachers and primary healthcare workers in Abuja.
The appeal was made on Wednesday during AONN’s quarterly meeting held in Abuja, where members expressed deep concern over the prolonged disruption of essential services affecting children and vulnerable families.
Primary school teachers, under the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), have been on an indefinite strike since March 24, 2025, protesting the non-payment of the ₦70,000 minimum wage. Likewise, primary healthcare workers affiliated with the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) have been on strike since January 11, 2024, due to unpaid arrears and allowances. The strikes have crippled services across all six FCT area councils: Abaji, Kwali, Kuje, Gwagwalada, Bwari, and Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
While commending Minister Wike for his visible infrastructure projects, AONN FCT Coordinator, Dr. Kiema Ogunlana, urged him to also prioritize human capital development, especially in education and health.
“It’s heartbreaking that public school children remain at home while their peers in private schools are concluding their academic year and preparing for promotion,” she said.
Dr. Ogunlana warned that continued academic disruptions could worsen the quality of education and have long-term effects on the nation’s future workforce. She also urged striking unions to consider less disruptive forms of protest, emphasizing the hardship such actions impose on ordinary citizens.
“Many families already struggle to meet basic needs. Now, they’re being pushed into unaffordable private hospitals for care—it’s simply unjust,” she stated.
She revealed that AONN is planning an advocacy visit to the FCT Minister, expressing hope that Wike would respond compassionately.
“We see him as a father figure and trust that he will act swiftly to ease the suffering of the most vulnerable in our society,” she added.
Speaking at the meeting, AONN’s Public Relations Officer in the FCT, Oyeyemi Pitan, highlighted the importance of the quarterly gathering as a space to review child protection strategies across the territory.
She noted that the event also featured a mental health session focused on caregiver well-being.
“As those serving vulnerable communities, we must learn to recognize stress, take time to recharge, and manage our emotions to avoid burnout,” she said.
Pitan added that the meeting also laid the groundwork for the association’s upcoming Annual General Meeting and the commemoration of the Day of the African Child.
“When we speak of the African child, too often the picture is one of abandonment. We are working to change that through concrete action and targeted investments in their futures,” she concluded.
