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The raging controversy over the concession of King’s College, Lagos, to its alumni association for 35 years, under the public-private partnership (PPP) model by the Federal Government is avoidable. The government should have consulted widely before making the plan public. The King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA) had expressed interest to administer the school for 35 years. It also promised that it would not alter the vision and admission policy of the school, among other things.
However, the decision to concession King’s College to KCOBA without adequate consultation did not go down well with the teachers, parents and students of the 117 Unity schools across the country. The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has made its position clear on the matter, which is against the concession of Kings College, Lagos, to its alumni association. The crisis has even affected the resumption of academic activities in all the unity schools across the country.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, had deplored the condition of most of the unity schools, arguing that the Federal Government cannot maintain them alone. Therefore, Alausa had defended the concession of King’s College Lagos to its alumni association. According to the minister, King’s College and some other Federal Unity Colleges have deteriorated to unacceptable levels and required urgent intervention.
There is no doubt that most secondary schools across the country, including the so-called unity schools, have dilapidated classrooms, dormitories and ill-equipped laboratories and libraries. They also contend with dearth of qualified teachers and spaces for adequate teaching and learning.
However, the condition does not justify the plan to concession some of these schools. Instead of rushing to concession or sell them to the highest bidder, the Federal Government should make elaborate plans to rehabilitate them. Most of these schools were established by past administrations to cement our unity at the end of the fratricidal Nigerian civil war of 1967-1970. Since then, they have indeed united Nigerians across ethnic and religious boundaries.
No matter how attractive concession might be, we urge the government to act with caution over the concession of King’s College Lagos to its alumni association. The government should move with more haste and less speed. Moreover, the government should consult more and get feedback from the relevant stakeholders over the concession plan.
The argument for concession of unity schools has followed a familiar pattern. The proponents of the idea point to the leaking roofs, the overcrowded dormitories, and the occasional lapses in academic rigour at King’s College and other Federal Government Colleges (FGCs) as proof that the state has failed. They argue that private capital will bring efficiency, world-class infrastructure, and strict accountability. This line of reasoning is flawed. It confuses a failure of maintenance with a failure of mission. The current dilapidated state of King’s College is not an indictment of public education. It is an indictment of successive governments that chose to starve these colleges of funding.
The concession of Unity Schools would fundamentally change everything in them, including staffing and admission process. In Unity schools, the children of the rich move along with the children of the poor. The change of ownership will alter this defining arrangement.
They share the same rations, endure the same morning drills, and form bonds that defy the tribal and religious fault lines that politicians manipulate so easily. If the King’s College is privatised, market forces will dictate its tuition. The Nigerian government cannot continue to outsource its core duties to the private sector.
We have seen this experiment play out in other sectors. If the government abdicates its role in shaping the minds of the next generation of leaders, it surrenders the nation’s cultural and civic future to corporate interests. Who will teach these children the value of public service, patriotism, and national sacrifice when their education is driven entirely by a profit margin?
Instead of selling off our heritage, the Federal Government must recommit to revitalisation of Unity Schools, starting with flagship institutions like King’s College. This requires aggressive funding and institutional reform.
We live in a time when Nigeria’s unity is being tested. Ethno-religious tensions are high, and the sense of shared destiny that once bound us together is waning. In such a climate, we cannot afford to dismantle the few remaining institutions which unite young Nigerians. King’s College, Lagos, is more than just blocks of classrooms. It is a repository of our collective history and a beacon of what Nigeria can be when we invest in our youth. The government must wake up to its responsibilities. It should rehabilitate the schools and pay workers a living wage. The culture of selling our national assets must be halted.
