The Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Federal Wing, has protested at the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja over the concession of King’s College, Lagos, to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association, KCOBA.
The protesters, led by the Chairman of the NUT Federal Wing, Emeka Okonta, described the concession as a threat to public education and urged the Federal Government to reverse the decision.
Okonta said the union opposed any move to concession, privatize or sell King’s College or any other Federal Unity College, stressing that the institutions were established as public schools to provide quality education and equal opportunities for Nigerian children.
According to Okonta, Federal Unity Colleges are national assets established and maintained with public resources and should not be transferred to private interests through concession arrangements.
He argued that alumni associations with the capacity and vision to establish schools should build new institutions rather than take over existing Federal Unity Colleges.
He said the NUT would support every legitimate and lawful effort to stop the concession of King’s College and resist similar arrangements involving other Federal Unity Colleges.
Okonta warned that allowing the concession to proceed could create a precedent for the concession or disposal of other Federal Unity Colleges.
“This is not a struggle for King’s College alone. It is our struggle. Today, it may be King’s College. Tomorrow, it could be another Federal Unity College,” he said.
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The NUT chairman called on teachers, parents, alumni, education stakeholders and other Nigerians to remain vigilant and support the union’s position through legitimate and lawful means. He said stakeholders should not wait until another Federal Unity College was targeted before taking action.
Okonta maintained that Federal Unity Colleges remained public assets belonging to Nigerians and urged the Federal Government to reconsider the concession and preserve their public character.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the protest followed a letter dated September 4, 2026, from the Federal Ministry of Education and signed by the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Folake Olatunji-David.
The letter informed the Principal of King’s College, Lagos, that the institution had been concessioned to KCOBA following the conclusion and signing of a Concession Agreement.
The ministry said arrangements had been concluded to hand over the college to KCOBA with immediate effect for implementation of the agreement, including the establishment of a Transition Committee.
According to the ministry, the Transition Committee is expected to ensure a smooth transfer of the college’s management to KCOBA within six months.
The letter further stated that funding of the college from the Federation Account would stop after the transition period.
The ministry also directed the principal to facilitate the transition process and provide the committee with a list of staff who were willing to remain in the employment of the Federal Civil Service Commission.
The development has therefore triggered opposition from the NUT, which insists that the concession of King’s College could undermine the public ownership and character of Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria.
NAN
