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King's College, Lagos, has been shut by its staff union following the Federal Government's directive to immediately commence the handover of the 116-year-old institution to the King's College Old Boys' Association (KCOBA), throwing the resumption of students into uncertainty.
Students were scheduled to resume on Sunday, but the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) said it would decide by Thursday whether the school could reopen after the sudden closure.
In a letter dated September 4, 2026, the Federal Ministry of Education confirmed that all processes for the concession had been concluded and directed the immediate implementation of the agreement.
The letter, signed by the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Dr. O.P. Olasoju-David, on behalf of the Minister of Education, stated that a Transition Committee had been constituted to oversee the transfer of the college's management to KCOBA.
According to the ministry, the transition is expected to be completed within six months, after which funding for the college from the Federation Account will cease. It also directed the school's principal to provide a list of staff willing to remain under the Federal Civil Service Commission.
Chairman of the King's College PTA, Peter Oluwaleye, said parents were informed of the development during an emergency stakeholders' meeting, after which the staff union shut the school and halted all movement in and out of the premises.
He said the closure had cast doubt on the planned resumption, adding that parents would receive an update before the weekend. He also advised them to delay the purchase of perishable back-to-school items until the situation becomes clearer.
The PTA maintained its opposition to the concession, arguing that students were admitted into King's College as a Federal Government unity school and should be allowed to complete their education under the existing arrangement. It also criticised the six-month transition timeline and complained that parents were not adequately consulted before the decision was taken.
The association warned that the concession could lead to higher school fees, reduce access to affordable education for children from low-income families and undermine the public character of the institution. It called on the Federal Government to suspend the process and engage stakeholders.
The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) also rejected the concession, describing it as a dangerous policy shift that could have far-reaching consequences for public education. The group questioned the terms of the agreement and faulted the planned withdrawal of Federal Government funding after six months.
However, KCOBA insisted that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of King's College but a partnership with the Federal Government aimed at restoring and modernising the institution. Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, described the initiative as the beginning of a “King's College Renaissance.”
The latest development follows last week's protest by parents, students and labour groups, who marched through parts of Lagos Island demanding the reversal of the concession and warning that the move could threaten affordable education and the jobs of teachers and other workers.
