The Federal Government has agreed to suspend the implementation of the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos, for two weeks following negotiations with education-sector labour unions.
The agreement was reached after a meeting between the Federal Ministry of Education and representatives of organised labour, amid protests over the planned transfer of the school’s management to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association.
Under the agreement, the unions will suspend their industrial action, while a committee will be established to review and negotiate the terms of the proposed arrangement during the two-week window.
The Federal Government has also agreed to redeploy police personnel from the premises of King’s College and assured workers that no staff member would be victimised for participating in the protest.
The dispute intensified after education workers shut several Federal Government Unity Colleges as they protested the proposed concession, which they feared could affect workers’ jobs and the affordability of public education.
The government, however, has maintained that King’s College has not been sold or privatised, stressing that legal ownership and oversight of the institution remain with the Federal Government.
The Ministry of Education also assured labour that there would be no arbitrary increase in school fees beyond the Federal Government’s existing policy on affordable education in Unity Colleges.
It further said King’s College workers would remain civil servants, with staff reportedly given the option of remaining at the school or transferring to other government schools in Lagos, depending on their preference.
The two-week pause is expected to provide room for further discussions between the government, labour and other stakeholders over the proposed management arrangement.
The latest development temporarily eases tensions surrounding one of Nigeria’s oldest and most prominent secondary schools, while negotiations continue over the future structure of its administration.
