The federal government’s planned concession of King’s College in Lagos to its old boys’ association disrupted the resumption of students in Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.
The development left students in several government-run unity colleges at home after the Joint Congress of Unions in the Federal Ministry of Education insisted that no resumption should take place until the government reverses the concession.
Checks by our correspondents showed that several colleges remained deserted, while parents in different parts of the country either kept their children at home or turned back from schools after learning of the workers’ position.
The unions warned that the King’s College arrangement could pave the way for the transfer of other public unity colleges to private interests, which they said would undermine the purpose for which the institutions were established.
The development put the workers on a collision course with the Federal Ministry of Education.
However, later yesterday evening, the colleges were directed to resume academic activities immediately following a meeting by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other stakeholders.
The dispute centres on the federal government’s decision to hand over the management of King’s College, Lagos, to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA) under a 35-year concession arrangement.
The concession has triggered opposition from workers, parents and other stakeholders who fear that it could affect the ownership, funding, affordability and future administration of the 116-year-old institution.
In a letter dated September 4, 2026, the Federal Ministry of Education confirmed that the concession had been concluded and directed the principal to commence the handover process.
The ministry said a transition committee would complete the transfer of management to KCOBA within six months, after which federal government funding from the Federation Account would cease.
It also directed the principal to provide the committee with a list of staff willing to remain in the employment of the Federal Civil Service Commission.
The development led to a shutdown of the school by workers, with the King’s College PTA raising concerns over the effect of the arrangement on existing students.
The PTA argued that students admitted into King’s College as a federal government institution should be allowed to complete their education under the existing arrangement.
112 unity colleges affected
It was gathered that 112 of the 115 Federal Unity Colleges had complied with the workers’ “No Resumption” directive.
The Joint Congress of Unions had, in a communiqué issued on September 10, directed parents, guardians, School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs), Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), community leaders and the general public to ensure that students did not resume for the first term.
“Consequently, the Joint Congress of Unions hereby resolves that no resumption shall take place in any Federal Unity College across the Federation until this matter is satisfactorily resolved and the planned sale/concession of King’s College, Lagos, is reversed,” the communiqué stated.
The unions said the action was aimed at protecting public education, declaring: “We are not ready for the privatization of our educational institutions.”
They also appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to support their opposition to the concession.
The Joint Workers Committee of Unions (JWC) subsequently reaffirmed the directive in a notice dated September 11, 2026, addressed to principals and unit chairmen of the Federal Unity Colleges.
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), which represents teachers and other workers in the affected institutions, also directed its members not to participate in the weekend check-in process for boarding students.
Aside from the planned concession, the union cited concerns over the availability of textbooks and the preparedness of the colleges for the new academic session.
The directive was signed by JWC Chairman, Onuche Abraham; ASCSN Chairman, Ngadi Sampson; Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) Chairman, Ojelabi Ademola; and Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) Chairman, Ejike George.
The workers said their action was not merely about staff welfare but was aimed at protecting public education.
“Our strike is not merely an industrial dispute over welfare; it is a patriotic battle to save public education,” the unions said.
Students stranded in Abuja, schools shut in Akwa Ibom
At Federal Government Boys’ College, Garki, Abuja, returning students who arrived at the school were left stranded outside the gate as they tried to ascertain the situation and determine whether the industrial action would affect their resumption.
Some students, dressed in mufti, were seen gathered around the entrance of the school.
“Many of us came expecting that school would resume, but we discovered that things were not moving as usual. We came to know what is happening and how it will affect us,” a student said.
At Federal Government Boys’ College, Apo, Abuja, the school premises were also deserted, with no teachers available to receive students.
The PTA Chairperson, Mrs Amina Abdullahi, confirmed that the school did not open as scheduled.
She said the development was in compliance with the directive of the teachers’ union.
The three unity schools in Akwa Ibom State Federal Government College, Ikot Ekpene; Federal Government Girls’ College, Ikot Obio Itong; and Federal Science and Technical College, Uyo also joined the nationwide action.
Parents told our correspondent that the schools were locked and their children could not resume.
In a circular to parents, the Chairman of the PTA of Federal Government College, Ikot Ekpene, Mr Nsisong Jackson, urged them not to return their children to school until further directive from the relevant authorities.
Concession won’t stand, parents insist
Parents in different parts of the country also opposed the concession, expressing fears that transferring the management of unity schools to private interests could eventually make them unaffordable to ordinary families.
The Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association of Unity Colleges in the South-West, Ayopo Somefun, said the schools would remain shut until the federal government rescinded its decision on King’s College.
He warned that allowing the concession to stand could open the door for similar arrangements in other Unity Colleges.
“If the concession of King’s College stands, the exercise would be extended to the other unity colleges, and that would negate the reasons for setting up the schools,” Somefun said.
The Chairman of the King’s College PTA, Peter Oluwaleye, also affirmed the staff union’s position.
“No student is resuming. We have made it clear on our different platforms. No resumption until further notice,” he said.
A parent and PTA member, Mrs Gladys Bello, said the concession could place additional financial pressure on families if fees increased under new management.
“When you are considering selling unity schools or handing them over to individuals or old boys’ associations, it means you are making life difficult for parents. The child of the poor man may no longer have access to these schools because school fees, tuition and other charges will definitely increase.
“As you can see, our children are supposed to resume today, but because of this development, honestly, we cannot resume. We are very concerned and saddened by what is happening,” she said.
The National Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria also warned that higher fees could deny many families access to King’s College.
“Affordability will become a major concern for parents, potentially denying many families access to King’s College if fees increase substantially,” its Board of Trustees Chairman, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, said.
Benue, Kano colleges deserted
In Benue State, all four unity schools remained shut after workers boycotted resumption over the proposed concession of King’s College.
The schools are Federal Government College, Vandeikya; Federal Government Girls’ College, Gboko; Federal Government College, Otobi; and Federal Science and Technical College, Otukpo.
Some parents who took their children back to school on Sunday were disappointed over the non-resumption.
One of them, Attah Ede, whose child was to resume at FSTC Otukpo, said he was driving from Makurdi to Otukpo when another parent alerted him to a circular announcing the suspended resumption.
“I was already driving my daughter from Makurdi on Sunday, heading to Otukpo, before another parent called my attention to a freshly released circular on the school platform indicating the suspended resumption.
“We were told it was all about the protest over the private acquisition of King’s College in Lagos. So I had to return home, but there were parents who got to the school with their wards before knowing about the development,” he said.
Also, the Federal Government College, Kano, showed no sign of student resumption when Daily Trust visited on Monday.
Placards protesting the proposed land concession of FGC Kano were displayed at the school gate.
Some of the inscriptions read: “We say no to land concession of FGC Kano. No resumption” and “Unity colleges are not for sale, no resumption.”
A student at the gate said students were yet to resume in protest against the planned concession of part of the school to a private company.
Benin PTA backs workers
The Parent-Teacher Association of Federal Government Girls’ College, Benin City, also backed the unions’ opposition to the King’s College arrangement.
The PTA Chairman, Kelvin Okpefa, said the school had yet to resume because of the dispute between the unions and the Federal Government.
“We are watching because of the safety of our children. The union is on strike and they said they won’t allow students to enter school premises,” he said.
Okpefa said the PTA supported the workers because handing over King’s College to private interests was not in the interest of the public.
“Now, the federal government is controlling Unity Schools and parents are still struggling to put their kids in the schools.
“So, if parents are finding it difficult with the federal government controlling the schools, it would be worse handing over the school to private individuals in the name of old students,” he said.
He warned that ordinary families could be priced out of unity schools if the institutions were privatised.
“We are with the union until the government reverses the decision and continues to fund Unity Schools because it is not in the interest of the masses to hand them over to individuals,” he said.
The Chairman of the King’s College PTA, Oluwaleye Peter, reiterated the PTA’s opposition to the concession.
“We don’t want old boys to come and manage or own the school. Either it belongs to the government or not, we don’t care. The old boys have attended the school under the ownership and the management of the Federal Ministry of Education.
“So you cannot come and manage it privately. No. If there is anything that you feel like you want to do to the school, do it and close your eyes to whatever happens after,” he said.
Similarly, the Chairperson of the PTA of Queen’s College, Lagos, Apata Iyabo, said the proposed KCOBA concession was not acceptable to many parents.
“We brought our children to a government-owned institution, and we expect it to remain accessible, accountable, and committed to the objectives for which it was established,” she said.
The PTA Chairman of Federal Government College, Odogbolu, Babalola Olanrewaju, described the proposed King’s College concession as “privatisation in disguise.”
Strike suspended after FG, TUC meeting
Meanwhile, after a meeting yesterday, all Federal Unity Colleges were asked to resume academic activities immediately.
Alausa made the announcement after a meeting with the TUC and representatives of the KCOBA.
The education minister also assured workers of King’s College that no staff member would be dismissed as a result of the ongoing issues, while the deployment of academic and non-academic personnel would be carried out in line with the Public Service Rules.
Alausa said the implementation of the arrangement for the KCOBA to continue managing the institution would proceed, while a seven-member committee would review outstanding concerns and make recommendations that could be incorporated into the agreement already signed.
The committee comprises two representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, including the Minister of State for Education and the Acting Permanent Secretary; one representative of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment; two senior representatives of the TUC; and two representatives of the King’s College Old Boys Association.
According to Alausa, the committee has between one and two weeks to complete its assignment and submit its recommendations.
The minister said the engagement was conducted in the spirit of mutual respect and national interest, noting that stakeholders might not get everything they wanted but could reach a workable resolution through dialogue.
Responding to the agreement, TUC General Secretary, Nuhu Toro, described the meeting as fruitful and robust, saying the concerns of the unions were presented and considered in good faith.
Toro announced that the TUC had suspended the industrial action earlier directed against its affiliates to allow the committee to carry out its assignment.
He said the unions reserved the right to resume the suspended action if necessary after the committee completes its work.
The TUC leader welcomed the committee, saying it would enable the unions to examine the relevant policy document, raise concerns and contribute to the review process before the parties reconvene.
Toro also called for urgent intervention at King’s College, stressing that the dilapidated condition of the institution was a matter of concern and needed intervention.
He described the outcome as a “win-win situation”, saying the unions secured assurances on the welfare of their members while the government demonstrated willingness to revisit issues requiring further consideration.
KCOBA defends concession
Meanwhile, KCOBA has rejected claims that the institution has been sold or privatised.
In a statement by its Board of Trustees, the old boys’ association said the arrangement was a Public-Private Partnership aimed at rehabilitating, modernising and sustaining the college.
“The concession is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the transfer of ownership of King’s College to KCOBA. It is not the abandonment of government responsibility for the institution,” it said.
KCOBA said its special-purpose vehicle, King’s College Education Trust Ltd/Gte, would undertake the management, development, rehabilitation and operation of the school.
According to the association, legal title to the concession assets remains with the federal government, which retains regulatory and supervisory powers, including inspection, audit and step-in rights in cases of material default.
It said the agreement required the concessionaire to finance extensive rehabilitation covering academic buildings, hostels, laboratories, libraries, healthcare, sports facilities, utilities and other infrastructure.
“In other words, KCOBA is not paying the government for King’s College. KCOBA is undertaking responsibility for investing in King’s College,” the association said.
KCOBA said the project followed a formal unsolicited proposal and a regulated review involving the Federal Ministry of Education and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission.
It added that the process included technical, legal, financial, environmental and social due diligence, value-for-money assessment, fiscal-impact analysis, stakeholder consultations and commercial structuring before the ICRC issued a Certificate of Compliance and the Federal Executive Council approved the project.
“This is, therefore, not an arrangement that emerged from a backroom conversation between KCOBA and an individual,” the association said.
The association cited its longstanding interventions in the school, including scholarships, infrastructure projects and technology initiatives, as evidence of its commitment to the institution.
It also referenced a N40 million contribution by the 1981–1986 class set towards classroom digitalisation in May 2026.
Daily Trust
