King’s College concession: Committee meets as JWC submits position paper - The Guardian Nigeria News

Masai Ujiri (third left) with students of Kings College and Queens College, as well as other stakeholders during the unveiling of the Giant of Africa’s 50th basketball court at the Kings College, Lagos, on Monday.

Masai Ujiri (third left) with students of Kings College and Queens College, as well as other stakeholders during the unveiling of the Giant of Africa’s 50th basketball court at the Kings College, Lagos, on Monday.

The seven-member committee set up by the Federal Government to review the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos, finally held its inaugural meeting yesterday, with the Joint Workers Council (JWC) submitting a 23-page position paper outlining its position on the controversial arrangement.

The meeting brought together representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, organised labour and the King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA) as the parties resumed negotiations over the future of the 117-year-old institution.

At the meeting, presided over by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, the unions presented their holistic position on the concession agreement to the minister, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry and representatives of KCOBA, with the union delegation led by Innocent Bola-Audu.

In a statement after the meeting and made available to The Guardian last night, the JWC said its 23-page position document had been formally submitted to the ministry for review and consideration.

The statement was signed by Chairman of JWC at the Federal Ministry of Education Headquarters, Abraham Onuche; Chairman, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Chigozie Ngadi; Chairman, Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), Ojelabi Ademola; and Chairman, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), George Stainless.

The workers also clarified that no Federal Unity College had been concessioned, stressing that the process remained under consideration and that “no concession has been concluded or implemented.”

The JWC said it had presented six alternative options in its position paper for the ministry’s consideration, aimed at achieving improvements in the quality, standard, administration and overall development of the Federal Unity Colleges without compromising the interests of the schools and their stakeholders.

The Council, which further stated that “normal school activities are to continue,” with all Federal Unity Colleges expected to maintain their normal academic and administrative activities while the matter is being resolved, also stressed that “no date has been fixed for the next meeting,” adding that further engagements would be scheduled after the ministry had reviewed the union’s position paper.

The JWC, however, maintained that the position and agreement of critical stakeholders must be clearly established and reflected in any final arrangement concerning the schools.

ALSO, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has proposed six alternative reform models to the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos, urging the Federal Government to halt implementation of the 50-year agreement and undertake a comprehensive review of the deal.

The union, in a comprehensive position paper submitted to the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and obtained by The Guardian, said the 117-year-old institution could be rehabilitated and modernised without surrendering public educational governance, workers’ rights, as well as the historic institution’s public character.

The position paper, titled “Wholistic Review and Proposed Recommendations with Regard to the King’s College Concession Agreement,” was issued yesterday and signed by the Secretary-General of ASCSN, Gamaliel Acho.

According to Acho, the union’s position was an evaluation of the legal, labour, fiscal, institutional and public-interest implications of the August 7, 2026 concession agreement between the Federal Ministry of Education and King’s College Education Trust Ltd/Gte (KCET).

Among the alternatives proposed by the union is the revival of School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs), alongside the establishment of a statutory Unity Schools Trust to drive reforms across the Federal Unity Colleges.

ASCSN also proposed a national framework led by the National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC), using the commission’s statutory architecture and fund to provide direct infrastructure grants and enforce standards across unity colleges, among others.