Administrative activities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are set to resume today following a marathon midnight negotiation between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and organised labour leaders. The agreement, reached at approximately 3:50 a.m. on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, successfully averted a planned mass protest that threatened to paralyse the nation’s capital.
The breakthrough came after more than three hours of intense deliberations brokered by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the FCT, Senator Mohammed Bomoi. The truce brings a formal end to the industrial action that began on January 19, 2026, which had seen thousands of workers under the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) walk off their jobs over unpaid welfare arrears and pension deductions.
Under the terms of the newly signed resolution, the FCT Administration has committed to a policy of "no victimisation" for any worker who participated in the strike. In a significant legal concession, both parties agreed to the immediate withdrawal of all pending cases at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria related to this specific dispute.
Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Benson Upah, confirmed the suspension of the strike in a joint statement with TUC General Secretary Dr Nuhu Toro. Upah noted that the Minister addressed the workers' grievances systematically during the late-night session, promising a new era of "mutual respect and sustained engagement".
"All complaints presented by members of the Joint Unions Action Committee were taken one after the other and fully addressed," Upah told reporters shortly after the meeting. "Consequently, all JUAC members and all affiliates of the TUC and NLC working in the Ministry of the FCT are hereby directed to resume work immediately."
The dispute had escalated sharply in the preceding 24 hours. While the National Industrial Court had issued an interim injunction on Monday to stop the planned February 3rd protest, labour unions had initially signalled their intent to proceed, citing the urgency of their welfare demands.
The intervention by the Senate Committee was seen as the critical factor in bringing both sides back to the table.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who had previously described the strike as politically motivated, shifted his tone during the resolution. Official statements from the FCTA indicated that the Minister assured labour leaders of his commitment to fulfilling the administration’s obligations regarding promotion arrears and the remittance of statutory deductions for the National Housing Fund and pension schemes.
The strike had severely impacted government services across the territory for over two weeks, leaving many departments dormant.
