The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, met staff unions on Monday over the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos. The Trade Union Congress (TUC), Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and affiliates attended. The Minister of State, Suwaiba Ahmad, and Acting Permanent Secretary, Folake Olatunji-David, were present.
King’s College, Lagos, was founded in 1909. It is one of Nigeria’s oldest and most prestigious secondary schools. Federal Unity Colleges were established in the 1960s and 1970s to promote national integration. Students from all states attend. The schools are subsidised and affordable. Attempts to privatise or concession them have met resistance before. In 2017, a plan to sell some unity schools was shelved after protests. The current proposal follows the same script.
Alausa said the engagement was part of education reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda. He urged unions to consider national interest. Olatunji-David said workers would remain civil servants. They could stay at King’s College under a new arrangement or move to other Lagos schools. A committee would manage the transition. The TUC General Secretary, Nuhu Toro, said unions sought clarification on the term “concessioning”. The issue led to a strike. Federal Unity Colleges in Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu stayed shut. Gates were locked. Parents were turned back. Students did not resume. The ASCSN directed members at FGGC Ezzamgbo to ignore the resumption directive. The strike delayed the 2026/2027 academic session.
The strike is a test of the government’s reform agenda. The unions fear privatisation. The government says it wants efficiency. The students are caught in between. The strike affects thousands of children, many from poor families. Unity schools are their path to quality education.
Winners: Unions, which forced the government to negotiate. The TUC, which showed unity. Lawyers and consultants who may benefit from the transition. Losers: Students, who miss school. Parents, who face uncertainty. The government, if the strike spreads. King’s College, if its heritage is compromised.
Bottom Line: Unity schools are shut. The government wants to concession King’s College. The unions say no. The students pay the price for a fight they did not start.