The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has described the protracted strike by public primary-school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as a grave setback for children’s education.

Writing on his X handle on Thursday, Obi expressed dismay that thousands of pupils remain out of school even as the FCT Administration “spends billions of naira renovating a conference centre.”

“Education is the most critical and immeasurable component of human development. Yet, right here in Abuja, public primary-school pupils have been out of school for over three months due to a strike,” he said.

He recalled that Nigeria is a signatory to both the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which place education at the heart of development. Moreover, he noted, the country’s Universal Basic Education Act guarantees every child access to free, quality basic schooling.

“When the strike began, we all thought, ‘This is Abuja; it will only last a day or two.’ But here we are, three months later, our children are still at home while we renovate infrastructure,” he said.

Calling education “the foundation of societal development,” Obi warned that neglecting it would deepen poverty, insecurity and underdevelopment.

“A nation that ignores its children’s education is digging deeper into poverty. We must prioritise investment in human capital—basic education, healthcare and poverty reduction—if we want to build a new Nigeria that is possible.”

The strike, embarked upon by the FCT Wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), began in March over unpaid allowances and unmet welfare demands. Despite several meetings with FCT officials, no agreement has been reached.

Parents’ associations have echoed Obi’s concerns, urging federal and FCT authorities to intervene immediately so pupils can resume classes in the next academic term.