King’s College Parents-Teachers Fight N100bn Takeover Bid By Old Boys, Oppose Privatisation Of Unity Schools
The Parents-Teachers Association of King’s College Lagos has rejected the Federal Government’s approval to concession the 116-year-old institution to the old students body, warning that the move would make the school unaffordable for ordinary Nigerians and set a dangerous precedent for other Federal Unity colleges.
The group’s protest came against the background of a N100 billion takeover bid by the King’s College Old Boys Association.
At the college’s PTA Annual General Meeting on Saturday, parents expressed strong opposition to the proposal, describing education as a fundamental right that should not be reserved for those who can afford it.
The PTA appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconsider the approval, cautioning that the concession would lead to increased fees that many parents were already struggling to pay.
Mrs Nkiru Ikechukwu, a parent, urged the Old Boys to invest more in the institution and monitor its finances as a way of giving back, rather than taking over its management.
“If this should be allowed to happen, I dare say that it will trickle down to all other unity colleges in the country and by way of extension also federal institutions of higher learning across the country,” she warned.
Loveth Nimkur-Ikilama, a teacher at the college, described the move as contrary to the vision of the founding fathers and warned that concession could result in privatisation, skyrocketing fees, and the exclusion of indigent but brilliant students.
“I am a product of Unity College myself. We enjoyed all it had to offer at the time. I am also sure that if allowed, with time, the concession can result in privatisation,” she said.
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has also rejected the plan, warning that handing over Federal Government Colleges to private entities would make them inaccessible to millions of Nigerian students and threaten the jobs of teachers and other workers.
The union recalled that it had resisted a similar attempt in 2005 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo through dialogues, strikes, and litigation.
However, the King’s College Old Boys Association has insisted that the arrangement is neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association will partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.
KCOBA President Kashim Ibrahim-Imam assured Nigerians that the school’s Federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.
He also announced a N100 billion Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, and scholarships, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden to parents.
In a communique read by PTA Chairman Peter Oluwaleye, the parents demanded the immediate suspension of the proposed concession and urged policymakers to prioritise investment in public education through increased funding, improved infrastructure, and transparent management.
“The future of our children should never be certified for commercial interest,” the communique stated.
