By Prosper Okoye
The Association for Orphans and Vulnerable Children NGOs in Nigeria (AONN), FCT Chapter, has urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to urgently intervene in the ongoing strikes by primary school teachers and primary health care workers in Abuja.
The call was made on Wednesday during the association’s quarterly meeting held in the nation's capital.
Teachers under the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) resumed an indefinite strike on March 24, 2025, over the non-payment of the ₦70,000 minimum wage. Similarly, primary health care workers under the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) have been on strike since January 11, 2024, due to unpaid arrears and allowances. Health services across all six FCT area councils—Abaji, Kwali, Kuje, Gwagwalada, Bwari, and Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC)—have remained largely paralysed.
While commending the FCT Minister for his ongoing infrastructural initiatives, AONN FCT Coordinator, Dr. Kiema Ogunlana, appealed to him to also prioritise human development, particularly as it affects children.
“It is disheartening that children in public primary schools have been out of school, while their counterparts in private schools are concluding the third term and preparing to move to the next class in September,” she said.
“These continued disruptions in the academic calendar negatively affect children's educational growth and contribute to the declining quality of graduates from our higher institutions,” she added.
Dr. Ogunlana also called on the striking unions to explore alternative, less disruptive means of engaging government on their demands, warning that it is the ordinary citizens who suffer the most from prolonged industrial actions.
“Imagine the plight of poor families who can hardly afford daily meals, now being forced to seek care in expensive private hospitals. This is deeply unfair,” she stressed.
She disclosed that AONN is planning an advocacy visit to the FCT Minister.
“We see him as a father figure and believe he will take decisive steps to address these issues and ease the burden on vulnerable families,” she said.
Also speaking at the meeting, AONN’s FCT Public Relations Officer, Oyeyemi Pitan, described the quarterly gathering as a crucial platform for assessing and improving child protection efforts across the territory.
“It was also a psycho-social experience for our members. One of the key highlights was a mental health session that focused on self-care for caregivers. We must learn to identify our stress points, take breaks, and be mindful of our emotional responses in order to serve our communities better,” she emphasized
She added that the meeting also provided an opportunity to plan for the association’s Annual General Meeting and on how to mark the Day of the African Child.
“When we talk about the African child, the image that often comes to mind is one of neglect and abandonment. We are working to change that narrative—not just through words, but through concrete action and investment in the lives of these children,” she said.