The Joint Congress of Unions in the Federal Ministry of Education has suspended the resumption of students in all Federal Unity Colleges nationwide over the Federal Government’s concession of King’s College, Lagos, to the institution’s old boys’ association.
The unions announced the decision in a communiqué dated September 10, 2026, directing that the first-term resumption, earlier scheduled for Saturday, should not take place until further notice.
The directive covers all categories of Federal Unity Colleges, including Federal Government Colleges, Federal Government Boys’ Colleges, Federal Government Girls’ Colleges and Federal Technical Colleges across the country.
The unions said they strongly opposed the concession of King’s College, Lagos, and any move to sell, concession or privatise other Federal Unity Colleges. They described the development as a threat to the continued public ownership of the institutions.
The dispute centres on the Federal Government’s decision to transfer the management of King’s College to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA). A September 4 letter from the Federal Ministry of Education stated that the concession agreement had been concluded and that arrangements had been made for the transition of management to KCOBA over a six-month period.
The unions also accused the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, of failing to grant them an audience despite repeated requests over the past month to discuss the concession and other concerns affecting workers in the ministry.
The workers protested at the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, barricading the entrance to the ministry. They threatened to continue the protest and keep the 115 Federal Unity Colleges closed until their grievances are addressed.
The unions have called on parents, guardians, Parent-Teacher Associations, School-Based Management Committees and community leaders to support their position. They also appealed for solidarity from organisations including the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and Nigeria Union of Journalists.
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has separately rejected the King’s College concession, arguing that transferring the management of Federal Unity Schools to private interests could undermine the public education system.
The suspension has created uncertainty for students and parents preparing for the new academic session, as the unions did not announce a new resumption date. They said academic activities would remain suspended until the dispute over the King’s College concession is satisfactorily resolved.
