FG, Labour Hold Talks as King’s College Concession Sparks Nationwide Unity Schools Shutdown

The Federal Government and organised labour on Monday held talks over the controversial concession of King’s College, Lagos, as workers across Federal Government Unity Colleges shut their schools in protest against the arrangement.

The meeting was led by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and attended by representatives of the Trade Union Congress, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and other affiliated unions.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, and the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Folake Olatunji-Davies, also participated in the meeting.

The discussions came after workers of Federal Unity Colleges, under the ASCSN, closed the gates of schools nationwide and prevented students from resuming for the new academic session.

The Federal Government had earlier directed the immediate handover of King’s College to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association following a concession agreement.

A transition committee was also established to complete the process within six months.

However, the government has insisted that King’s College has not been sold or privatised, stressing that legal ownership of the institution remains with the Federal Government.

Despite the clarification, opposition to the proposed 35-year concession intensified on Monday, with workers barricading the entrances of several unity schools and the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters in Abuja.

The action disrupted the commencement of the first term, as teachers and other members of staff prevented students from gaining access to the schools.

Speaking during the meeting with organised labour, Alausa said the engagement was part of the Federal Government’s broader education reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He stressed that while workers’ welfare was important, the government also had a responsibility to protect the national interest and safeguard the future of Nigerian children.

“While workers’ welfare remains important, all stakeholders must also consider the national interest and the future of the nation’s children,” the minister said.

Alausa commended the unions for defending workers’ rights while choosing dialogue as a means of resolving the disagreement.

He assured them that the government would implement its education reforms responsibly.

The minister also praised the Acting Permanent Secretary for cutting short a scheduled official trip to London, United Kingdom, to return and address the concerns raised by the unions.

He said the government would consider the interests of students, teachers and non-academic staff while ensuring that public resources were effectively managed.

The Acting Permanent Secretary, Olatunji-Davies, assured the unions that the government was committed to a smooth transition and would protect the interests of affected workers.

She explained that staff of King’s College would remain civil servants under the proposed arrangement and would have the option of remaining at the college or transferring to other government schools in Lagos State.

She added that a committee would be established to manage the transition, ensure that relevant stakeholders were consulted and preserve the history, heritage and objectives of King’s College.

However, the General Secretary of the TUC, Nuhu Toro, said the unions were mainly seeking clarification on the proposed arrangement, particularly the meaning and implications of the word “concession.”

According to him, the controversy had prompted an instruction for workers at the unity colleges and King’s College to withdraw their services.

He said interventions at the highest level had now brought the government and labour representatives to the negotiating table.

Toro said the unions remained committed to resolving the disagreement through dialogue, noting that a prolonged closure of the schools could negatively affect students, particularly children from poor and disadvantaged families.

“We are on the same page on the future of our children,” he said, stressing the need for both sides to reach an agreement quickly.

Established in 1909, King’s College is one of Nigeria’s oldest secondary schools and is part of the Federal Government’s network of unity institutions.

A visit by our correspondent to Federal Government College, Ijanikin, King’s College, Yaba, and Queen’s College, Lagos, on Monday showed that the schools remained closed, leaving students who were expected to resume for the new academic session at home.

At Federal Government College, Ijanikin, the Chairman of the ASCSN branch at the school, Ayo Hundeyin, said the workers opposed the concession because of concerns that it could make the schools unaffordable and undermine the future of public education.

“The children are not coming as the Parent Teacher Association has asked parents to keep their children at home.

The classes are empty. We are in solidarity with ourselves that we don’t want concessions. We want our school back,” Hundeyin said.

The union leader argued that rather than taking over the management of King’s College, the old students should support the institution through a trust fund.

“If they want to assist the government, they can have a trust fund. They should not take over the school. It is not right,” she said.
Hundeyin said the old boys could establish a trust fund to provide scholarships for students and improve facilities at the school.

“The amount of money that they have been calling is about N100bn. Let them create a trust fund so there will be availability of scholarships for the children and they can fix amenities in the school,” she said.

She stressed that the workers were not opposed to the government but wanted the authorities to ensure that the interests of students were protected.

The union chairman also expressed concern over a ministry circular directing teachers who wished to remain government employees to submit their names through their principals to the Federal Civil Service Commission.

According to Hundeyin, the directive created uncertainty about the future of the teachers.
“In the circular from the ministry, the teachers were told that those who are interested in staying with the government should forward their names, through their principal, to the Federal Civil Service Commission.

It means a lot,” she said.
She argued that requiring teachers to choose between remaining with the government and staying at King’s College could put their jobs at risk.

Hundeyin further expressed concern that the concession could eventually result in a substantial increase in school fees.

“We have fear that school fees will go up to N2m. How many parents in Nigeria today can afford to pay such an amount? It is unfair and uncalled for,” she said.

Workers in the Federal Unity Colleges said they were awaiting the outcome of discussions between their national association and the Federal Government.

The unions had, in a statement issued on Sunday, insisted that they would not be intimidated by government directives or threatened administrative sanctions over their decision not to resume work.

Meanwhile, the King’s College Old Boys’ Association, which addressed journalists in Lagos on Monday, declined to immediately provide detailed responses to questions concerning the concession.

The President of KCOBA, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, said the association would organise a world press conference to explain its position on the matter.

He, however, stressed the commitment of the old boys to the institution, saying they had contributed significantly to its development over the years.

“I know how much sacrifice I’ve made. I sleep King’s College. I wake up King’s College. My contributions to King’s College have practically bankrupted me,” he said.

Ibrahim-Imam added that the association was eager to present its side of the story, stressing, “We are passionate about King’s College.”

Also speaking, the Chairman of the 2026 Kingsweek Planning Committee, Gbolahan Olayomi, said the old students had made what he described as “super investments” in the college over the past year.

He listed some of the projects as a multi-million-naira basketball court built to NBA standards and a N200m digitalisation initiative designed to modernise teaching and learning at the school.

According to Olayomi, the digitalisation project is aimed at transforming King’s College into a world-class learning environment through the use of modern technology in classrooms.

He added that a class set had also undertaken an upgrade of the school’s medical facilities, while other interventions had been made in sports, education and human capital development.

Olayomi said the old boys also facilitated sustainability and climate-action training for 100 students, while the Federal Ministry of Education, through the Universal Basic Education Commission, donated five interactive flat-panel displays to the school.

The association said the interventions were part of its continued support for King’s College.

The press conference also marked the beginning of the 2026 Kingsweek, which is scheduled to end on September 20 with a thanksgiving service at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, followed by the KCOBA Annual General Meeting at the Ecobank Head Office, Victoria Island.

The dispute over the proposed concession, however, remains unresolved as the Federal Government and organised labour continue discussions on the future administration of King’s College and the implications for its workers, students and the wider public education system.