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By Gabriel Dike and Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Federal Ministry of Education (FME) has concluded arrangements to hand over the management of King’s College, Lagos, to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA), with funding of the 117-year-old institution from the Federation Account expected to cease after a six-month transition period.
The decision comes despite opposition from parents and staff of the premier Federal Government College and while stakeholders await the outcome of interventions by the Senate and House of Representatives committees on Basic and Secondary Education.
In a circular dated September 3, 2026, the ministry said all processes leading to the concession of the college to KCOBA, including the signing of the concession agreement, had been concluded and directed the school authorities to commence arrangements for an immediate handover. The circular, titled, “Concession of King’s College, Lagos to King’s College Old Boys’ Association,” was signed by the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Dr. O.F. Olatunji-David, and addressed to the principal of the college.
“I am directed to refer you to the above subject and inform you that following the conclusion of all necessary processes up to signing of concession agreement, King’s College, Lagos has been concessioned to King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA).”
The ministry directed that a Transition Committee be constituted to oversee the transfer of management to the old boys’ association within six months. “Consequently, the ministry has concluded all necessary arrangements to hand over the college to King’s College Old Boys’ Association with immediate effect for the implementation of the agreement therein including the constitution of a Transition Committee.
“The Transition Committee is to ensure a seamless transition of the college management to KCOBA within six months after which funding of the college from Federation Account will be stopped,” the circular stated.
The ministry also directed the principal to activate the machinery necessary for the transition and provide the committee with the names of members of staff who wished to remain employees of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC).
“You are therefore requested to activate all necessary machinery to facilitate the smooth transition of the management of the college to KCOBA for effective administration and avail the Transition Committee the list of staff that are willing to remain in the employment of Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC),” it said.
The directive indicates that the concession has moved beyond the proposal stage to implementation, notwithstanding protests by parents and concerns raised by staff over the future management, funding and status of the institution.
Daily Sun gathered that parents and staff had expected the Federal Government to await the outcome of interventions by the relevant committees of the National Assembly before proceeding with the handover.
Parents of students of the college had, about three weeks ago, staged a protest in Lagos against the concession, rejecting the planned transfer of management to KCOBA.
The parents also threatened not to allow their children to resume for the new academic session scheduled to begin on Monday, September 14, unless their concerns over the concession were addressed.
The latest directive from the ministry, however, suggests that the Federal Government intends to proceed with implementation of the concession, with the six-month transition expected to determine the movement of personnel and transfer of administrative responsibilities to KCOBA.
King’s College, founded in Lagos in 1909, is one of Nigeria’s oldest and most prominent secondary schools and has, for more than a century, operated as a Federal Government institution.
