The Federal Government on Monday met with staff unions over the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos, to the King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA) as workers in the Federal Unity Colleges have insisted that the institutions will remain shut despite the Federal Government’s directive for the schools to reopen on Monday, September 14, 2026.
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, in conjunction with the Joint Congress of Unions of the Federal Ministry of Education, said the boycott of activities in the 115 federal unity colleges remained total until the government suspend the concession of King’s College, Lagos, to its old boys’ association.
A statement released by Ikharo Attah, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the Minister is currently meeting with the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and other affiliated unions over concerns raised by workers on the King’s College arrangement.
The meeting, which has the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad and the Acting Permanent Secretary, Dr. Mrs Folake Olatunji David in attendance, is part of efforts to resolve the impasse ahead of the scheduled resumption.
However, a disagreement over the venue of the meeting between the Minister and the Joint Workers Committee of Unions ( JWC) on Monday stalled efforts to resolve the crisis as the Unity Colleges remained shut countrywide.
It was gathered that the meeting with the workers scheduled for Monday was cancelled after Alausa reportedly insisted that it should hold at the headquarters of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, (TETFund) while the JWC demanded that the minister meet them at their workplace, the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters in Abuja.
The minister who however continued the meeting with members of the TUC and the ASCSN said the engagement is part of the Federal Government’s ongoing education reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at ensuring that every Nigerian child receives quality education.
He stressed that while workers’ welfare remains important, all stakeholders must also consider the national interest and the future of the nation’s children.
He commended the unions for their commitment to workers’ rights and their willingness to engage in dialogue and also commended the Acting Permanent Secretary for demonstrating leadership by interrupting a scheduled official trip to London to return and respond to concerns raised by the unions.
Also speaking, the Acting Permanent Secretary assured the unions that government is committed to a smooth transition and the protection of the interests of affected workers.
She clarified that they remain civil servants and will have the option of either remaining at King’s College under the new administrative arrangement or moving to other schools within Lagos State, based on their choice.
She added that a committee is being put in place to facilitate the transition, ensure stakeholders are carried along and preserve the heritage and objectives of the college.
On his part, the TUC General Secretary, Comrade Nuhu Toro, said the unions came to seek clarification on the proposed changes at King’s College, particularly the use of the term concessioning.
He noted that the issue has generated concern and led to an instruction for workers in unity schools and King’s College to down tools, but acknowledged that interventions at the highest level have brought the parties to the negotiating table.
He affirmed that the unions are committed to resolving the matter through dialogue, particularly in the interest of children of the poor and less privileged, stressing that the Ministry and the unions are on the same page in their desire to reach a resolution quickly.
