King’s College concession: FG suspends takeover for two weeks, orders police withdrawal

He also rejected concerns that the concession would result in higher fees or make King’s College inaccessible to children from less privileged families.

“We have no plans, and I make this claim on behalf of the old boys, that we are not going to increase the fees,” he said.

According to him, the association intends to preserve the national character of the institution by ensuring that children from different parts of Nigeria and diverse socio-economic backgrounds continue to have access to the college.

He also called for closer scrutiny of the school’s finances and management, including revenue generated through Parent-Teacher Association levies and other sources.

Ibrahim-Imam proposed the establishment of a joint committee involving the media and other stakeholders to examine both the association’s proposals and the existing management structure of the college.

He said the Old Boys’ Association also planned to renovate deteriorating facilities and undertake other improvements to the school’s infrastructure.

Following the briefing, members of the association toured the college premises under police protection.

Speaking separately in Abuja, Alausa clarified that the proposed arrangement at King’s College was not a template for handing over the management of other Federal Government-owned Unity Colleges.

The minister said the government had informed labour unions that the agreement with the King’s College Old Boys’ Association was a standalone arrangement and would not automatically be extended to other Unity Colleges.

“No. We’re not extending it. The government still has its responsibility,” Alausa said.

He maintained that the Federal Government would continue to fund the rehabilitation of other Unity Colleges, while also exploring additional sources of financing to address longstanding infrastructure challenges.

Alausa disclosed that approval had been obtained to redirect about $20m from a World Bank-supported programme towards the rehabilitation of schools, with approximately 20 Unity Colleges initially selected to benefit from the intervention.

He said the scale of the infrastructure challenge was significant, noting that rehabilitating Unity Colleges in the South-West alone could cost close to N100bn.

According to the minister, the decision to pursue the King’s College arrangement was influenced by the extent of deterioration at the institution and the willingness of the Old Boys’ Association to commit substantial resources through a non-profit foundation.

He stressed that the proposed agreement was intended to attract additional funding for the school without transferring ownership from the Federal Government.

Alausa said the arrangement would be monitored through clearly defined key performance indicators and that the Ministry of Education had constituted an implementation and monitoring team to assess compliance, including through unannounced visits.

He said the government was prepared to continue discussions with the unions and consider concerns that could improve the agreement.

The minister also reiterated that school fees would not be increased under the arrangement, saying the Memorandum of Understanding contained provisions designed to protect both government interests and learners.

He urged journalists and other stakeholders to visit Unity Colleges and independently assess their conditions when reporting on the issue.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, also assured that teachers would not lose their jobs as a result of the King’s College arrangement.

Ahmad said teachers affected by any redeployment had been allowed to indicate their preferred destinations in accordance with the Public Service Rules.

She added that the government was implementing teacher training and capacity-building initiatives as part of efforts to improve learning outcomes across Unity Colleges and other public schools.

The minister said the government remained willing to engage with the unions and consider legitimate concerns raised about the concession, adding that a committee had already been established to review the agreement.

She said union representatives would also be represented on the committee responsible for monitoring implementation.

“There is no fee increase in this arrangement. It is part of the MoU we signed.

“With the workers’ protest, we cannot meet with them when they have shut the ministry.

“Normalcy must return to the ministry if the unions want us to listen to them,” she said.

Ahmad said the government’s broader objective was to restore the standards and reputation historically associated with Nigeria’s Unity Colleges.

She noted that the decline in infrastructure and educational standards had developed over several decades and would require sustained investment in facilities and teacher development.

She added that the government was considering different public-private partnership models for rehabilitating Unity Colleges, with the Kano model among the approaches being examined.