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Education on Hold: Hunger Forces Abuja Pupils into Street Trade, Teachers into Begging
As the strike by primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) stretches into its fourth month, many pupils have resorted to street hawking while teachers are left pleading for financial support to survive.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
For more than 100 days, Abuja’s public primary schools have remained shut as a standoff persists between the government and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT chapter. This marks the fourth such industrial action since late 2023.
The teachers are demanding the full implementation of a tripartite agreement signed on December 11, 2024. The pact promised a new minimum wage of N70,000 for educators, payment of 25 to 35 per cent salary arrears, a 40 per cent peculiar allowance, the N35,000 federal wage award, and outstanding promotion benefits from previous years.
With no end in sight, civil society organisations, activists, and labour groups have taken to the streets to protest the prolonged impasse.
Now in its third academic term, the strike has left thousands of pupils idle at home, fueling frustration among parents, rights groups, and labour leaders. Many children who should be in classrooms now roam streets, chase cars, or sell goods such as sachet water and groundnuts under Abuja’s blazing sun.
Scenes of young hawkers have become increasingly common across the capital.
At Jabi and Wuse markets, primary school-age children can be spotted carrying trays of oranges, zobo drinks, and snacks. Others, lacking direction or support, wander aimlessly.
Some parents insist the informal labour is better than letting their children idle at home while the government and teachers remain at loggerheads.
“My mum takes me with her to the market. I help sell provisions and foodstuffs,” said eight-year-old Blessing (surname withheld). “I miss my friends and going to school.”
“I’m supposed to be studying for common entrance,” said 11-year-old John, who now hawks zobo and kunu around a park while his mother sells at the Utako market. “I don’t like being home. They always make me do chores.”
Ten-year-old Ibrahim, a Primary 4 pupil in Bwari, simply said, “I come here every day to play ball.”
Parents Seek Alternatives
Faced with an uncertain school calendar, some parents—especially civil servants and middle-income earners—have moved their children to affordable private schools, albeit with difficulty.
“I had to borrow money just to enroll my son in a private school,” said Favour Onwudiwe, a widow in Lugbe. “The fees are high and they keep asking for more. But I couldn’t let him miss an entire term.”
“This is the third term, the promotional term. If they miss it, they may have to repeat the class. That’s not fair,” she added.
In Bwari, Mr. Chukwuemeka Ifeanyi said he made the move after a similar strike disrupted learning for over six weeks in the past.
“We used to pay around N25,000 in his public school. Now, the new private school charges more than N50,000, not including extra levies,” he said. “It’s a huge strain, but at least my children aren’t wasting away.”
Mr. Jimoh Dauda, a staff of the FCT Administration, lamented that he couldn’t afford to make such a move.
“My children have been at home since the strike began. I would homeschool them if I could, but that’s also expensive. It breaks my heart, but there’s nothing I can do,” he said.
Teachers Turn Private Tutors
While children are forced into street vending or idleness, the teachers themselves are facing economic hardship.
With salaries unpaid for months and what they describe as government indifference, many educators have turned to tutoring, petty trading, or other stopgap ventures just to make ends meet.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has revealed that his push for an opposition coalition was initially rejected by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Atiku made the disclosure during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, where he reflected on events following the PDP’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election. According to him, he warned party leaders after the election that the PDP could struggle politically without forming alliances with other opposition forces. “To be honest, I was one of the major initiators of this coalition. After the PDP lost the last election, I told the party clearly that I did not see a future for the PDP without a coalition,” he said. Atiku said his advice was rejected at the time, despite his conviction that Nigeria’s political history had shown the importance of alliances. “They disagreed with me then. I have studied Nigeria’s political transition over the years and saw how previous alliances worked, so it was not difficult for me to foresee this,” he stated. The former vice president added that his support for coalition politics was also influenced by his desire to encourage the emergence of younger leaders he believes are vital to Nigeria’s future. “I saw some of these younger politicians as the future leaders of this country, and I felt it was my duty to point that out,” he said. However, Atiku claimed the resistance he encountered within the party was driven more by personal feelings than by disagreement over the substance of his proposal. “They disagreed with me simply because they did not want to see my face, not because of what I was suggesting,” he said. Atiku added that recent political developments have now vindicated his position on the need for a broad opposition alliance ahead of future elections.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will first pursue a consensus arrangement before considering a primary election for its 2027 presidential ticket.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Atiku made this known during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday while discussing the party’s leadership and strategy ahead of the next general election.
He said he is open to backing a consensus candidate if that becomes the party’s collective decision, stressing that such support should not be interpreted as stepping aside.
“It is not about stepping aside, but whether I am willing to support, and yes, I will,” Atiku said.
According to him, the ADC’s first priority is to build internal unity and reach an agreement among stakeholders before considering a competitive primary process.
“Our first option will be to work out a consensus. If that doesn’t happen, then of course we will explore other options. And yes, I will support whoever eventually emerges,” he stated.
Atiku also expressed confidence in the political experience within the party, saying he believes a consensus is achievable and may make a full-scale primary contest unnecessary.
“That remains our preferred path. We will go for primaries if consensus fails, but I honestly do not expect it to get to that stage because we are dealing with mature and experienced politicians,” he added.
His comments come amid growing political consultations and coalition talks as parties begin to position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has significantly strengthened his chances of winning the 2027 presidential election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Atiku made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Wednesday. Speaking on what makes his latest presidential bid different from previous attempts, Atiku said the ADC coalition brings together key political figures from across major parties, including the APC, PDP and Labour Party. He described the alliance as a broader and more strategic political arrangement ahead of the 2027 general elections. According to him, the coalition has created a stronger platform that improves his prospects. “Now, we have a broader coalition — a combination of APC, PDP and LP — which gives me a better chance of becoming president in 2027,” he said. Atiku also noted that the coalition reflects both experience and generational inclusion, which he said shows a clear succession plan. “You see people of my generation, and you see younger people coming behind us, so you can clearly see a succession pattern,” he added. Meanwhile, Atiku described former President Goodluck Jonathan as a decent but inexperienced leader. According to him, Jonathan’s lack of experience contributed to shortcomings in governance and played a role in his defeat in the 2015 presidential election. “I know Goodluck Jonathan very well. He is a decent young man, but he was also inexperienced, and that contributed to his failure in managing the affairs of the country,” Atiku said. He made the remarks while stressing the need for experienced and capable leadership in Nigeria.
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