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Workers in Nigeria’s Federal Unity Colleges have refused to resume duties despite the Government’s directive for the schools to reopen for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The development has left students unable to resume classes at Federal Unity Colleges across the country, as staff unions continue their protest against the concession of King’s College, Lagos, to the school’s old boys’ association.
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), in conjunction with the Joint Congress of Unions of the Federal Ministry of Education, said the boycott would continue until the Federal Government suspends the concession.
According to PUNCH, the unions said they would not be deterred by the government’s directive or threats of administrative sanctions over their refusal to return to work.
“The directive for all workers to withdraw their services and boycott the resumption of all 115 Federal Unity Colleges remains total, absolute, and unchanged.
“Until that is done, the gates of all Federal Unity Colleges remain firmly shut,” the statement read.
The unions are opposed to the Federal Government’s decision to concession King’s College to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association, arguing that the arrangement could have wider implications for the future of the Federal Unity School system.
The dispute followed a September 4 letter from the Ministry of Education directing the immediate handover of King’s College to KCOBA after the conclusion of the concession agreement.
Under the arrangement, a transition committee was constituted to complete the handover within six months, after which Federal Government funding for the college would cease.
The Federal Government, however, has rejected claims that King’s College has been sold or privatised.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said in a statement on Saturday that the government remained the legal owner of the 117-year-old institution. He explained that the concession only transferred responsibility for financing, rehabilitating, modernising, operating and maintaining the school to KCOBA.
“Let me assure Nigerians, particularly the King’s College community, that this concession is not a sale of King’s College.
“The government has retained legal title to the institution and will continue to exercise its oversight responsibilities,” Alausa said.
The minister also said the agreement preserved the school’s public character and national identity, with admissions to continue under the applicable Unity College policies.
The unions remain unconvinced, warning that the King’s College arrangement could create a precedent for other Federal Unity Colleges.
“If they succeed with King’s College today, every other Federal Government College in Nigeria will be sold to private interests tomorrow,” the unions said.
They also accused the Ministry of Education of disregarding the recommendations of an earlier committee established to explore ways of addressing infrastructure challenges at King’s College and other Federal Unity Colleges.
According to the unions, the committee, which included ASCSN members and ministry officials, was expected to develop acceptable solutions to the schools’ challenges before any concession was considered.
The Chairman of the King’s College Parent-Teacher Association, Peter Oluwaleye, confirmed that the staff union had maintained its position.
He said students would not be allowed to resume because teachers and other workers had withdrawn their services.
“No student is resuming. We have made it clear on our different platforms. No resumption until further notice,” he said.
Oluwaleye said the action was not limited to King’s College, adding that other Federal Unity Colleges had joined the protest.
“All over the country, other unity colleges are standing in solidarity with us,” he said.
He added that union members were already at the schools to ensure compliance with the directive.
“They are there, union members are there now, and that is how they are all over the country,” he said.
The PTA chairman further disclosed that the protest could soon extend beyond the schools, with the unions planning action at the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja.
“As a matter of fact, it has extended beyond schools now. By tomorrow morning, the Ministry of Education Abuja will be shut down,” he said.
The unions maintained that their action was about more than staff welfare, describing it as a fight to preserve public education.
“Our strike is not merely an industrial dispute over welfare; it is a patriotic battle to save public education,” the unions said.
