King’s College Concession: 115 Unity Colleges Shut as Education Workers Defy FG

King’s College Concession: 115 Unity Colleges Shut as Education Workers Defy FG

The controversy over the Federal Government’s concession of King’s College, Lagos, to its Old Boys’ Association has escalated into a nationwide education crisis, with workers shutting down the Federal Ministry of Education and keeping 115 Federal Unity Colleges closed despite the government’s directive for students to resume the 2026/2027 academic session.

The development has created uncertainty for thousands of students and parents as the new school year begins, with the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and the Joint Congress of Unions of the Federal Ministry of Education insisting that their boycott of activities in the affected schools will continue until the government suspends the concession.

The workers have rejected the proposed transfer of management of King’s College to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA), arguing that the arrangement could undermine the public character of the historic institution and set a precedent for similar concessions involving other Federal Unity Colleges.

The unions had earlier directed that students should not resume in the Federal Unity Colleges, despite the Federal Ministry of Education announcing September 14 as the resumption date for the new academic session.

On Monday, the workers maintained their position, with reports indicating that the affected schools remained shut as the government’s reopening directive came into effect.

The dispute follows the Federal Ministry of Education’s decision to concession King’s College to KCOBA under a 35-year Public-Private Partnership arrangement.

A ministry circular issued in early September stated that the processes leading to the concession had been concluded and directed the school to commence arrangements for an immediate handover.

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A Transition Committee was also constituted to oversee the transfer of management, with the process expected to be completed within six months.

One of the most contentious aspects of the arrangement is the ministry’s directive that Federal Government funding for King’s College from the Federation Account would stop after the transition period.

The ministry also asked the school management to provide information on staff who wished to remain within the Federal Civil Service Commission, raising concerns among workers over their employment status and possible redeployment.

The workers have described the development as unacceptable, arguing that the government should retain responsibility for funding and managing public secondary schools rather than transferring such responsibilities to private or alumni organisations.

The unions have also accused the ministry of disregarding an earlier committee that was expected to examine the infrastructure and management challenges facing King’s College and other Federal Unity Colleges and recommend solutions.

They have demanded that the government suspend or reverse the concession and engage the unions in meaningful discussions before proceeding with any management transfer.

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Federal Wing, has also backed the suspension of resumption in the Federal Unity Colleges, adding further weight to the workers’ opposition.

The disagreement has also attracted resistance from parents and other stakeholders. The King’s College Parent-Teacher Association has expressed concerns about the future of the school under the concession and the possible implications for affordability and access.

Parents have particularly questioned whether the withdrawal of government funding could eventually result in increased financial obligations for families.

The government, however, has rejected claims that King’s College is being sold or privatised.

Education Minister Tunji Alausa has said the Federal Government retains legal ownership of the 117-year-old institution and will continue to exercise its regulatory, monitoring, inspection and enforcement responsibilities.

According to the government, the concession only transfers responsibility for financing, rehabilitating, modernising, operating and maintaining the school to KCOBA.

The government has also argued that the arrangement is intended to attract investment and management expertise needed to improve the institution’s infrastructure while preserving its public ownership and national identity.

The proposed development programme reportedly includes new classrooms, laboratories and hostels, as well as improvements to learning resources, sports facilities and digital infrastructure.

The government’s clarification has, however, failed to resolve the dispute with the unions, who remain concerned that the concession could become a model for transferring other public schools to private interests.

The workers have warned that if the government proceeds with the King’s College arrangement, similar concessions could eventually be proposed for other Federal Government Colleges, Federal Government Boys’ Colleges, Federal Government Girls’ Colleges and Federal Technical Colleges.

The controversy has therefore moved beyond the future of one historic Lagos school to a wider debate about the management and financing of public education in Nigeria.

Supporters of the concession model argue that partnerships with old students’ associations and private-sector organisations could provide additional funding and management capacity for schools facing infrastructure deficits.

Opponents, however, maintain that such partnerships should complement government funding rather than replace it, particularly where public schools serve students from diverse economic backgrounds.

The timing of the dispute has made the situation more difficult for families, as the disagreement coincides with the scheduled reopening of schools across the country.

While the Federal Government has maintained that students should resume and assured parents that adequate arrangements were in place, education workers have insisted that the Federal Unity Colleges shutdown remains in force.

In some locations, parents and students who arrived for resumption reportedly found school gates closed, leaving families uncertain about when academic activities would begin.

The conflicting directives have also raised concerns about disruption to the academic calendar if the dispute continues for an extended period.

The Federal Unity Colleges form an important part of Nigeria’s secondary education system, with schools located across the country and designed, among other objectives, to promote national integration by bringing students from different states and backgrounds together.

The current dispute could therefore have implications beyond the immediate disagreement over King’s College if it leads to prolonged closure of the schools.

The workers have made clear that they want the government to address the concession before allowing normal academic activities to resume.

For the Federal Government, the challenge is to defend a policy it says is designed to rehabilitate and modernise a historic public institution while addressing concerns from workers, parents and other education stakeholders.

The immediate standoff leaves the King’s College concession at the centre of a growing confrontation between the government and education unions.

Unless both sides reach an agreement, thousands of students in the 115 Federal Unity Colleges could remain out of school, further delaying the start of the 2026/2027 academic session and intensifying calls for dialogue over the future of Nigeria’s federal secondary schools.

King’s College Concession: 115 Unity Colleges Shut as Education Workers Defy FG