Stakeholders reject King’s College proposed concession, threaten lawsuit
August 28, 2026 2:10 am
King’s College
Parents and students of King’s College, Lagos, have rejected the Federal Government’s proposed concession of the 117-year-old institution to the King’s College Old Boys Association, threatening to challenge the plan in court and disrupt the resumption of the next academic session.
Hundreds of parents and students staged a peaceful protest on Thursday on major roads across Lagos Island, demanding that the Federal Government retain control of the college.
The protesters, who began their march at the school gate, moved through major roads linking the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Office in Marina to Tafawa Balewa Square and the National Museum.
They carried placards with inscriptions including, “King’s College is not for sale. Beware!!!” and “Federal Government, we say no to concession.”
Speaking during the protest, the Chairman of the school’s Parent-Teacher Association, Peter Oluwaleye, said parents had repeatedly communicated their opposition to the proposed concession to the Ministry of Education and the Presidency without receiving a response.
He said the protest was aimed at stopping the proposed handover of the institution to the old boys’ association, insisting that the college should remain under the control of the Federal Government.
Oluwaleye said the PTA had expressed its position at the school’s annual general meeting and in letters sent to the government, adding that parents remained opposed to any arrangement that would transfer control of the institution.
He also criticised claims allegedly made by members of the old boys’ association that they now owned the school, describing such claims as unacceptable.
“The Old Boys Association keep going around telling the whole world that they now own King’s College, Lagos. But it is not true. It is barbaric, satanic for old students to lay claim to the school that produced them,” he said.
The PTA chairman said the old boys should instead concentrate on supporting the institution through voluntary contributions rather than seeking to take over its management.
“We expected them to give back to the school voluntarily and generously. But they are saying they want to take over the school,” he said.
Oluwaleye also questioned the capacity of the old boys’ association to manage an institution of King’s College’s size and reputation under the proposed 35-year concession arrangement.
He alleged that the concession would amount to the commercialisation of the management of a public secondary school and insisted that parents would not accept the arrangement.
“We see these old boys association members as businessmen that cannot run an educational institution of this magnitude. They are planning to run the school for an initial 35 years. But we, the parents, are saying no,” he said.
He said the parents had resolved to seek legal redress if the Federal Government proceeded with the concession.
According to him, the parents would also oppose the resumption of students for the new academic session, scheduled for September 13, until the Ministry of Education formally responds to their concerns.
“We have resolved that after this protest, we are going to court. We will tell the Federal Government that it is its responsibility to educate the citizens,” Oluwaleye said.
“We will ensure that there is no resumption in the school until we hear directly from the Ministry of Education. That is our resolution,” he concluded.
An ex-officio member of the school’s PTA, Aje Olatunji, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, said the protest was organised because the stakeholders did not want the school transferred to the private sector.
Olatunji said the protesters commenced the march from the school gate and proceeded through General Hospital to Tafawa Balewa Square before moving through the Yoruba Tennis Club and returning towards Defence House and General Baptist School.
He said the demonstration was peaceful and that there was no incident of violence or chaos during the protest.
According to him, the protesters carried placards as they marched through parts of Lagos Island to draw attention to their opposition to the proposed concession.
He concluded that no official of the school management addressed the protesters, explaining that the participation of civil servants and labour representatives was necessary because the school was still a government institution.
The PUNCH recalled that the King’s College Old Boys’ Association had earlier announced that the Federal Government approved a new governance framework for the college, describing it as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”
Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, maintained that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a partnership with the Federal Government to restore, modernise and sustain the college.
But the PTA argued that King’s College was established to provide affordable, accessible and quality education for every Nigerian child, regardless of social or economic background, insisting that education remained a fundamental right and not a privilege for those who could afford it.
The association expressed concern that the proposed arrangement could result in increased school fees and other charges beyond the reach of many parents, forcing children from low-income families out of the institution and widening inequality in access to quality education.
While asserting that it was not opposed to private investment in education, the PTA stressed that it rejected any concession arrangement that would undermine accessibility, affordability, equity and the public interest.
It reaffirmed its commitment to supporting genuine reforms that improve educational standards while safeguarding the rights of students and preserving the public identity of King’s College.
It also faulted what it described as the “secrecy surrounding the proposal,” saying critical stakeholders, including parents, teachers and the host community, were not adequately consulted before the concession plan emerged.
The PTA maintained that decisions affecting the welfare and education of students should only be taken after broad consultation and public participation.
Johnson Idowu is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over four years of experience covering politics, education, metro, and environment. He specializes in producing insightful and well-researched reports that inform and engage readers. Johnson’s work reflects hands-on newsroom experience, editorial insight, and a dedication to accurate, audience-focused journalism.
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