The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has opposed the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos, warning that the arrangement could set a precedent for the concession of other Federal unity colleges.

The NLC raised concerns that other unity colleges could subsequently be concessioned to entities it described as lacking the capacity to manage secondary education.

This was contained in a statement signed by the National President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, on Sunday, September 20, 2026, in Abuja.

Ajaero said the proposed concession had generated protests from various groups opposed to the arrangement, while the NLC raised concerns about its potential impact on access to the affected schools.

Also Read

What he is saying

The NLC said the proposed concession could result in higher fees and tariffs, potentially making the unity colleges less accessible to students from average-income families.

  • Ajaero said protests in the preceding week were directed at attempts by the government to concession the management of King’s College, Lagos, to the school’s alumni as a pilot for the possible concession of more unity colleges.
  • He said the old students’ association was seeking to take over management of the school because of years of neglect, underfunding, corruption, indiscipline and deteriorating services.
  • According to him, the conditions had turned what was once regarded as a pride of the nation into what he described as an “eyesore and disgrace.”
  • Ajaero said the bid by the old students to take over the school was motivated by concern about restoring its former standard, but argued that the arrangement could create risks for government-owned secondary schools.

He said, “However, buried in this noble initiative lurks grave danger for our secondary school education under the superintendency of government. Once the Kings College Old Boys initiative succeeds, relying on precedent, other Unity Colleges will be concessioned to nebulous entities, entities of doubtful origin without the capacity to manage secondary school education.”

The NLC also expressed concern that new school fees and tariffs could eventually place the colleges beyond the reach of students from average families, regardless of their academic ability.

NLC calls for government-funded Unity Colleges

The NLC maintained that educating citizens remains an obligation of government and said the responsibility should not be abdicated through concession arrangements.

The association noted that the government had previously taken over schools acquired from the missions and subsequently returned them, arguing that the experience had lessons for the management and funding of secondary education.

  • The NLC said returning the schools acquired from the missions meant the burden of maintaining secondary-level education was assumed to be considerably less.
  • It argued that government funding of schools remains common even in advanced economies, including the funding of a number of universities.
  • The association endorsed protests against the proposed concession of King’s College and other Federal unity colleges.
  • It urged the government to adequately fund and maintain the colleges because of their contributions to the country’s history and society.

The NLC also called for the government to sustain open competition among missionary, private and government schools rather than concessioning the Federal unity colleges.

What you should know

Nairametrics reported a few days ago that some unions under the Joint Workers Council of the Federal Ministry of Education had rejected the suspension of industrial action announced by the Trade Union Congress (TUC), insisting that the concession of King’s College, Lagos, must be reversed.

The unions said the TUC was not directly involved in their protest or negotiations with the Federal Ministry of Education and questioned its decision to suspend an action in which it did not participate.

According to the earlier report, the unions barricaded the entrance to the ministry’s headquarters to prevent officials and other workers from accessing the premises. They said the action was intended to draw attention to what they considered a critical threat to the future of the Federal Unity Colleges.

The dispute therefore remains focused on the proposed management arrangement for King’s College and the wider implications that organised labour associates with the concession of other Federal unity colleges.