Private school proprietors across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Wednesday staged a protest in Abuja over what they described as persistent multiple taxation and overlapping regulatory demands imposed by authorities under the administration of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The school owners, operating under the umbrella of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPS), converged at a Magistrates’ Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, where their case against the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) was scheduled for hearing.
After proceedings, the court adjourned the matter to April 16, 2026, and advised all parties involved to explore the possibility of resolving the dispute through dialogue and amicable settlement rather than prolonged litigation.
The suit, filed by NAPS, challenges what the association describes as duplicative levies and regulatory interference from both the FCTA and area councils, particularly AMAC. The proprietors argue that the parallel demands from these bodies have created confusion within the education sector, disrupted academic calendars, and placed an excessive financial burden on private schools already grappling with rising operational costs.
Speaking to journalists outside the court premises, President of FCT NAPS, Mrs. Rukayat Agboola, maintained that private schools in the territory are already subject to oversight by a designated statutory authority and should not be subjected to direct demands from multiple government agencies.
“I came here just to make a simple statement,” she said. “We, as an association in the education sector, have a regulatory body, which is the FCTA Education Secretariat. So anything concerning us should come through them. For any agency to bring demands or issues directly to us is not appropriate.”
According to her, the FCTA Education Secretariat is the appropriate channel through which regulatory and administrative matters affecting private schools should be communicated. She insisted that bypassing the Secretariat and issuing independent demands to schools undermines established administrative structures and fuels unnecessary tension.
“Anything that has to do with private schools must go through the FCTA Education Secretariat. That is why I am here,” she added, stressing that the association was not opposed to regulation but to what it described as disjointed and conflicting oversight.
Also addressing reporters, legal practitioner Alexander M. Oboe, Esq., who represents the affected schools, explained that the dispute stems from institutional overlaps between government agencies regarding revenue collection and regulatory authority over private educational institutions.
“I represent schools under the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools in the FCT,” he said, noting that the case before the court was prompted by what he described as policy inconsistencies that should ordinarily be resolved administratively rather than through enforcement actions.
Clarifying the status of one of the schools reportedly sealed by authorities, Alexander disclosed that the matter had been adjourned alongside the broader suit. He emphasized that the core issue revolves around which body has the legitimate authority to impose certain levies and compliance requirements.
“What actually brought us here is what institutional policy is supposed to solve,” he explained. “The issue at stake is something the Abuja Municipal Area Council and other area councils traditionally handle with schools. But recently, we discovered that the FCTA is also coming in on the same issue. It has now become a case of multiple taxation on schools.”
He alleged that schools have been served demand notices by both AMAC and departments within the FCTA over similar regulatory concerns, leading to confusion about compliance obligations.
“AMAC is serving you, the area councils are serving you, and the FCTA is also serving you on one and the same issue,” he said. “The institutional bodies in Abuja are causing conflict, and they are disrupting the educational curriculum and school processes.”
Pointing to the turnout of school proprietors at the court, he lamented that educational administrators were being compelled to abandon their duties to attend court proceedings.
“You can see the kind of crowd we have here. This is not how it is supposed to be. What we expect is for the authorities at the FCTA, especially the health department, and the area councils to sit down and resolve this matter once and for all. They should allow schools to operate in peace and let children learn effectively.”
When asked directly whether the case centers on multiple taxation, Alexander responded without hesitation.
“What we are challenging is exactly that—multiple taxation. We want these two bodies to come together and resolve this,” he said.
Using a metaphor to illustrate the situation, he added: “As it is said, when two elephants fight, the grass suffers. The schools are the grass now, while the two elephants are the FCTA health department and AMAC. They need to sit down and tidy things up.”
He further highlighted the dilemma faced by school proprietors, who are uncertain which authority to obey in the face of competing directives.
“The schools have no problem with these authorities, but we are confused. Who do we listen to? Do we listen to AMAC or the public health department of the FCTA? It is difficult to serve two masters at the same time. That is the issue—multiple taxation,” he said.
Providing additional insight into the legal proceedings, the lawyer explained that the judiciary is currently affording both parties the opportunity to present their arguments.
“The FCTA health department issued demand notices to various schools on different grounds and brought them to court for non-compliance,” he stated. “The court is now giving a fair hearing to both the authorities and the schools to determine what is actually going on.”
He described the case as, in effect, a class action, even though individual schools are named in the filings.
“Ideally, this is a class action. Even though individual schools are listed, the nature of the case affects all of them,” he said.
Alexander emphasized that the association remains open to dialogue and settlement, noting that the court itself had encouraged alternative dispute resolution.
“In situations like this, the first step should be dialogue. It is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war,” he remarked. “But it is left for the authorities to allow for settlement. If they don’t give peace a chance, there is little else we can do.”
As the case moves toward its next hearing date in April 2026, private school proprietors say they hope for a resolution that clarifies regulatory responsibilities, eliminates overlapping levies, and allows educational institutions in the FCT to focus on their primary mission—providing quality education to children without administrative uncertainty or financial strain.
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