115 unity colleges remain closed as workers defy FG’s resumption directive

When asked whether the action extended beyond King’s College, Oluwaleye said workers in other Federal Unity Colleges across the country were supporting the boycott.

“All over the country, other unity colleges are standing in solidarity with us,” he said.

He added that union members were present at the schools to monitor compliance with the directive.

The PTA chairman further said the protest could extend to the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja.

“As a matter of fact, it has extended beyond schools now. By tomorrow morning, the Ministry of Education Abuja will be shut down,” he said.

The workers maintained that their action was aimed at defending public education and was not solely connected to employment-related demands.

“Our strike is not merely an industrial dispute over welfare; it is a patriotic battle to save public education,” the unions stated.

Meanwhile, a member of the King’s College Old Boys’ Association, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the concession arrangement as a public-private partnership intended to rehabilitate and modernise the school.

The source said the agreement included a six-month transition period during which the parties would work out the details required for the implementation of the new operational arrangement.

He maintained that the partnership was intended to improve the school rather than transfer ownership from the Federal Government.

The closure of the Unity Colleges comes as schools in several parts of Nigeria reopen for the 2026/2027 academic session.

Parents have in recent days been purchasing textbooks, uniforms and other learning materials, while pupils and students who travelled during the holidays have returned ahead of the commencement of the new term.

The new academic session is also beginning amid rising concerns over the cost of education, following fee increases by several private primary and secondary schools.

Some private school proprietors recently raised fees by between 10 and 30 per cent, attributing the increases to higher costs of fuel, transportation, rent, infrastructure, textbooks and teachers’ salaries.

Source: THE PUNCH