By Gabriel Ameh
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the Federal Government to cancel its approved concession of King’s College, Lagos, to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA).
The organisation said the government should use the two-week suspension of the arrangement to terminate the agreement rather than amend the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and proceed with the concession.
The Federal Government approved the concession in July, while KCOBA announced a N100 billion endowment fund to support infrastructure, teacher development, digital technology, scholarships and students’ welfare.
The arrangement, however, triggered opposition from workers and parents, prompting the government to suspend its implementation and establish a seven-member committee to review the agreement.
In a statement issued on September 18, 2026, CAPPA said the suspension did not address what it described as the fundamental concern over transferring the management and governance of a publicly owned national institution to a private association.
The organisation also rejected the argument that the arrangement does not constitute privatisation because legal ownership of King’s College would remain with the government.
According to CAPPA, government ownership becomes less meaningful when operational control, institutional governance and decision-making powers are transferred to a private body.
Established in 1909, King’s College is one of Nigeria’s oldest secondary schools and part of the Federal Unity College system.
CAPPA said the Unity Schools were established to bring students from different regions, ethnic groups, religions and social backgrounds together while expanding access to quality public education.
The organisation argued that despite challenges including deteriorating infrastructure and rising school-related charges, King’s College and other Unity Schools remain more accessible to many working-class and low-income families than several private schools.
CAPPA’s Assistant Executive Director, Zikora Ibeh, said the condition of public schools should lead to increased government investment rather than the transfer of their management to private organisations.
“Government cannot neglect public schools until their infrastructure and learning environments deteriorate, only to present concession as the sole means of rescuing them,” Ibeh said.
She added that the condition of King’s College reflected inadequate public investment and weak administration.
CAPPA further cited the Federal Government’s 2026 executive budget proposal, which allocated about N3.52 trillion to education, representing approximately 6.1 per cent of the proposed national budget.
The organisation argued that the allocation remained inadequate given the challenges facing Nigeria’s education sector, including dilapidated infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, weak sanitation facilities and children lacking access to quality education.
It maintained that increased government revenues and tax receipts should translate into greater investment in education and other essential public services.
According to CAPPA, King’s College remains a federal institution and national public asset whose infrastructure and administrative challenges should be addressed through adequate budgetary allocations, transparent spending and accountable public management.
The organisation warned against making concessions a substitute for government funding or a means of transferring responsibility for public education to private bodies.
CAPPA also linked the King’s College arrangement to what it described as a broader trend of commercialisation of essential public services, citing water systems in Lagos and other public-private partnership arrangements.
The organisation said Nigerians already bear significant costs for services including water, electricity, security, healthcare and education while also paying taxes.
“If King’s College is concessioned today, which Unity School will follow tomorrow?” Ibeh asked.
She added: “If schools, water systems, hospitals and other essential services are steadily transferred to private managers, what precisely will remain of the government’s social responsibility?”
CAPPA, however, acknowledged that KCOBA could play a significant role in improving King’s College without taking over its management.
It proposed that the old boys’ association could renovate classrooms and hostels, equip laboratories and libraries, provide scholarships, support teachers and contribute to an independently administered endowment fund.
Such interventions, CAPPA said, should complement rather than replace government funding and should not give the association governance rights over the school.
The organisation urged KCOBA to also use its influence to advocate for better funding and accountability in Nigeria’s public education system.
As part of its proposed alternative, CAPPA called on the Federal Government to cancel the signed MoU and commission an independent assessment of King’s College’s infrastructure, staffing and learning needs.
It said the assessment should form the basis of a costed rehabilitation plan funded through the federal budget, with clear deadlines and publicly reported expenditure.
CAPPA also proposed a public oversight mechanism involving representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, teachers, workers, parents, students, alumni and independent education experts.
It called for rehabilitation contracts, budgetary allocations and project reports to be published and independently audited.
Beyond King’s College, CAPPA demanded a properly funded national renewal programme for all Federal Unity Colleges, arguing that the condition of public schools should not depend on the financial capacity or political influence of their alumni associations.
The organisation commended the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, the Nigeria Union of Teachers and the Trade Union Congress for opposing the concession.
It also urged the Nigeria Labour Congress, Parent-Teacher Associations, students, alumni and members of the public to continue opposing the arrangement until it is cancelled.
CAPPA maintained that public education is a public good and a core responsibility of government, which should be adequately funded, protected and administered in the interest of Nigerians.
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