The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the Federal Government to cancel its concession agreement for King’s College, Lagos, arguing that transferring management of the public school to its old boys’ association amounts to a retreat from the government’s responsibility to fund and manage public education.
CAPPA made the call after the Federal Government suspended implementation of the concession for two weeks and constituted a seven-member committee to review the agreement following protests by workers and parents.
The organisation urged the government to cancel the arrangement rather than amend the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA).
The Federal Government approved the concession in July, while KCOBA announced a N100 billion endowment fund to support infrastructure renewal, teacher development, digital technology, scholarships and student welfare.
However, CAPPA said the temporary suspension did not address what it described as the fundamental concern: the transfer of operational management and governance of a publicly owned national institution to a private association.
The organisation rejected the government’s position that the arrangement does not constitute privatisation because legal ownership of the school would remain with the state.
According to CAPPA, public ownership becomes limited in practical terms when operational control, institutional governance and decision-making powers are transferred to a private body.
CAPPA said the Unity Schools were established to bring students from different regions, ethnic groups, religions and socioeconomic backgrounds together while expanding access to quality public education.
It argued that despite deteriorating infrastructure and increasing school-related costs, institutions such as King’s College remain more accessible to many working-class and low-income families than private schools.
Zikora Ibeh, Assistant Executive Director of CAPPA, said the deterioration of public schools should prompt increased government investment rather than concession of their management.
“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 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 said the allocation remained inadequate given the scale of challenges facing Nigeria’s education sector, including deteriorating infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and inadequate sanitation.
It also argued that rising government revenues and tax receipts should translate into greater investment in essential public services.
KCOBA support should complement government funding
CAPPA said King’s College, as a federal institution and national public asset, should have its infrastructure and administrative challenges addressed through adequate budgetary allocations, transparent expenditure and accountable public management.
It warned against using the school’s deteriorating condition to justify what it described as the government’s gradual withdrawal from public education.
The organisation said KCOBA could still play a significant role in improving the school without assuming managerial control.
It proposed that the old boys’ association support the renovation of classrooms and hostels, equip laboratories and libraries, provide scholarships, support teachers and contribute to an independently administered endowment fund.
Such contributions, CAPPA said, should supplement rather than replace public funding or give the association governance rights over the school.
The organisation also urged KCOBA to use its influence to demand stronger education funding and accountability from the government.
As an alternative to the concession, CAPPA called for the cancellation of the MoU and 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 implementation timelines and publicly reported expenditure.
CAPPA also proposed a public oversight mechanism comprising representatives of the Ministry of Education, teachers, workers, parents, students, alumni and independent education experts. It called for the publication of rehabilitation contracts, budgetary allocations and project reports, alongside independent audits of the programme.
Beyond King’s College, CAPPA urged the Federal Government to establish a properly funded national renewal programme for Unity Schools so that the rehabilitation of public institutions does not depend on the financial capacity or political influence of individual alumni associations.
The organisation commended the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Teachers and Trade Union Congress for opposing the concession and urged the Nigeria Labour Congress, Parent-Teacher Associations, students, alumni and other members of the public to continue pressing for its cancellation.
“If King’s College is concessioned today, which Unity School will follow tomorrow? 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?” Ibeh said.
CAPPA maintained that public education is a public good and should remain a core responsibility of government, which must provide the funding, oversight and administration required to ensure access to quality education.
