King’s College Concession: Group Demands Immediate Reversal
… Warns FG Against Privatising Public Education
The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has condemned the Federal Government’s decision to concession King’s College, Lagos, to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA), describing the move as a dangerous step towards the commercialisation of public education.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, CDHR demanded the immediate suspension and reversal of the concession, following a September 4 correspondence from the Federal Ministry of Education announcing plans for the transition.
The rights group expressed particular concern over the reported decision to stop Federal Government funding of the institution six months after the transition, arguing that government should address underfunding of public schools rather than transfer its responsibilities to private entities.
CDHR said the government must disclose the full details of the concession, including its duration, financial terms, governance structure, asset arrangements, funding obligations and termination provisions.
The organisation also questioned the authority behind the concession and demanded clarification on whether the arrangement covers the management, assets, operational control or the institution itself.
According to CDHR, alumni associations have an important role to play in supporting public schools through the provision of infrastructure, scholarships, equipment and other interventions, but such support should not translate into private control of public institutions.
“King’s College is more than a school building. It is part of Nigeria’s educational heritage and national history,” the group said, stressing that Federal Unity Schools were established to promote national integration, equal opportunity and social cohesion.
CDHR warned that concessioning King’s College could establish a precedent for similar arrangements involving other Federal Unity Schools.
The organisation called on the Federal Government to halt any physical, administrative or operational handover of the college pending a transparent public review and to guarantee the rights and welfare of teachers and other workers affected by the proposed arrangement.
It also demanded broad consultations involving students, parents, teachers, workers, alumni, education experts, organised labour and civil society organisations before any decision on the institution’s future is implemented.
The rights group urged the government to properly fund and rehabilitate Federal Unity Colleges instead of transferring public responsibility to private entities.
“Education is a right, not a commodity. King’s College is a national institution, not a commercial asset,” CDHR declared.
The group further called on KCOBA and other stakeholders to exercise restraint and avoid proceeding with any transition that could undermine the public character, accessibility and national purpose of King’s College.
CDHR said its opposition was not directed at KCOBA or alumni contributions to education, but against what it described as the “creeping commercialisation of public education and the abdication of government responsibility.”
The statement was signed by CDHR National President, Comrade Yinka Folarin, and General Secretary, Comrade Idris Afees.
