The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), in a statement signed by its Media & Communications Officer, Robert Egbe, has called on the Federal Government to cancel the 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 cancel the deal rather than amend the Memorandum of Understanding and proceed with its implementation.
The Federal Government approved the concession in July, while KCOBA announced a N100 billion endowment fund to finance infrastructure renewal, teacher development, digital technology, scholarships and students’ welfare.
Following protests by workers and parents, the implementation was suspended and a seven-member committee was constituted to review the agreement.
CAPPA Rejects Concession Arrangement
CAPPA said the suspension did not resolve what it described as the main problem with the arrangement: the transfer of the management and governance of a publicly owned school to a private association.
The organisation also rejected the government’s argument that the arrangement did not amount to privatisation because legal ownership of the school would remain with the state.
According to CAPPA, public ownership becomes increasingly hollow 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 created to bring children from different regions, ethnic groups, religions and social backgrounds together while expanding access to quality public education.
The organisation said the deteriorating condition of public schools should lead to increased government investment rather than the transfer of their management.
CAPPA’s Assistant Executive Director, Zikora Ibeh, said:
“Government cannot neglect public schools until their infrastructure and learning environments deteriorate, only to present concession as the sole means of rescuing them. The condition of King’s College reflects inadequate public investment and weak administration,” Ibeh said.
CAPPA Questions Education Funding
CAPPA noted that the Federal Government’s 2026 executive budget proposal allocated about N3.52 trillion to education, representing approximately 6.1 per cent of the proposed national budget.
It said the allocation remained inadequate for a country dealing with dilapidated schools, overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, weak sanitation systems and millions of children without access to quality education.
The organisation argued that increased government revenue should translate into greater investment in education and other essential services.
CAPPA maintained that King’s College is a federal institution and a national public asset whose infrastructure and administrative challenges should be addressed through adequate budgetary allocations, transparent expenditure and accountable public management.
Group Suggests Role for KCOBA
CAPPA said KCOBA could contribute to the development of King’s College without taking over its management.
It said the association could renovate classrooms and hostels, equip laboratories and libraries, provide scholarships, support teachers and contribute to an independently administered endowment fund.
Such support, the organisation said, should supplement public funding rather than replace it or give KCOBA governance rights over the school.
CAPPA called on the Federal Government to cancel the signed MoU and commission an independent assessment of the school’s infrastructure, staffing and learning needs.
It said the findings should form the basis of a costed rehabilitation plan funded through the federal budget, with clear deadlines and publicly reported expenditure.
The organisation also proposed a public oversight mechanism involving representatives of the Ministry of Education, teachers, workers, parents, students, alumni and independent education experts.
It said rehabilitation contracts, allocations and project reports should be published, while progress should be independently audited.
Beyond King’s College, CAPPA called for a properly funded national renewal programme for all Unity Schools.
The organisation also commended the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, the Nigeria Union of Teachers and the Trade Union Congress for opposing the concession.
CAPPA urged the Nigeria Labour Congress, Parent-Teacher Associations, students, alumni and members of the public to remain firm until the arrangement is cancelled.
The organisation maintained that public education is a public good and a fundamental responsibility of government, which must fund, protect and administer it in the interest of Nigerians.
Share this
