The crisis surrounding King’s College, Lagos, has intensified after workers shut the school in protest against the Federal Government’s proposed 35-year concession of the institution to its Old Boys’ Association.
The development has cast uncertainty over the resumption of academic activities at the prestigious unity school, with workers and other stakeholders opposing the concession arrangement.
The controversy followed the Federal Government’s decision to hand over the management of King’s College to the Old Boys’ Association under a long-term concession arrangement. The proposal has generated strong reactions from staff, parents and other stakeholders who are concerned about the implications of the agreement for the school.
Workers reportedly shut the institution as part of their opposition to the concession, arguing that such a lengthy arrangement could have significant consequences for the management and future direction of the school.
The National Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria has also rejected the proposed 35-year concession, adding to the growing pressure against the arrangement.
Parents and other stakeholders have raised concerns over the possibility of the concession affecting access, affordability and the public character of the institution.
The development has also created uncertainty over the planned resumption of unity schools, with stakeholders calling on the Federal Government to reconsider the concession and engage affected parties before proceeding further.
King’s College, one of Nigeria’s well-known federal secondary schools, has a long history of producing prominent figures across different sectors.
With workers now shutting the school and opposition growing among parents and other stakeholders, attention is increasingly focused on the Federal Government’s next step and whether the proposed concession will be reviewed or maintained.
The dispute has therefore moved beyond the question of management and into a wider debate over how Nigeria’s federal unity schools should be administered, funded and protected as public institutions.
