Private school proprietors across the Federal Capital Territory staged a protest in Abuja on Wednesday over what they described as persistent multiple taxation and overlapping regulatory demands imposed by authorities under the administration of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Operating under the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPS), the school owners gathered at a Magistrates’ Court in Wuse Zone 2, where their case against the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) came up for hearing.
Following proceedings, the court adjourned the matter to April 16, 2026, advising all parties to explore dialogue and amicable settlement rather than prolonged litigation.
The suit challenges what NAPS described as duplicative levies and regulatory interference from both the FCTA and area councils, particularly AMAC. Proprietors argued that the overlapping demands have created confusion, disrupted academic activities, and placed financial strain on schools already dealing with rising operational costs.
Speaking to journalists, the FCT NAPS President, Rukayat Agboola, insisted that private schools should be regulated solely through the FCTA Education Secretariat.
“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,” she said.
Agboola maintained that bypassing the Secretariat undermines established administrative processes and fuels unnecessary tension within the education sector.
Also addressing reporters, legal practitioner Alexander M. Oboe, who represents the schools, said the dispute stems from institutional overlaps between government agencies regarding revenue collection and regulatory authority.
He noted that schools have received similar demand notices from both AMAC and departments within the FCTA, creating uncertainty 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. The institutional bodies in Abuja are causing conflict and disrupting school processes,” he said.
Oboe described the situation as a clear case of multiple taxation, stressing that school operators are unsure which authority to comply with.
“The schools have no problem with these authorities, but we are confused. Who do we listen to? It is difficult to serve two masters at the same time,” he added.
He further explained that the case, though filed in the names of individual schools, effectively affects all private school operators in the FCT.
The lawyer noted that the court is allowing both parties to present their arguments, while also encouraging alternative dispute resolution.
“In situations like this, the first step should be dialogue. It is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war,” he said.
As the case heads toward its next hearing in April, school proprietors say they are hopeful for a resolution that will eliminate overlapping levies, clarify regulatory responsibilities, and allow schools to focus on delivering quality education without administrative or financial burdens.
