FEDERAL UNITY COLLEGES FACE DISRUPTION AS WORKERS SUSPEND RESUMPTION

The resumption of students in Nigeria’s 115 Federal Unity Colleges has been thrown into uncertainty following a decision by workers in the Federal Ministry of Education to suspend academic activities over the controversy surrounding the concession of King’s College, Lagos. The Joint Workers Union, which comprises the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and other unions, directed that the schools should remain shut until their grievances with the Federal Government are addressed.

The unions are particularly opposed to the reported 35-year concession of King’s College to its old boys’ association. They argued that handing over the management of a federal institution to a private or alumni body could lead to job losses and potentially set a precedent for similar arrangements involving other Unity Colleges. The workers also accused the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, of failing to adequately engage with them despite repeated requests for a meeting over the issue and other concerns affecting ministry staff.

The dispute has already affected activities at the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters in Abuja, where workers protested and barricaded the entrance. The unions also raised concerns about the alleged outsourcing of ministry responsibilities to consultants and special advisers, as well as unpaid allowances owed to some staff who participated in official assignments, including data collection and capacity-building activities in 2024. They demanded a review of the King’s College concession and called for greater attention to the welfare of ministry workers.

The planned shutdown has created uncertainty for parents and students who had been preparing for the new academic session. The 115 Federal Unity Colleges include federal government colleges, boys’ and girls’ colleges and federal technical colleges spread across the country. The unions said the schools would remain closed indefinitely until the government responds to their demands, while also calling on the authorities to strengthen public education institutions rather than transfer them to private interests.

The Federal Government, however, has moved to reassure parents that the resumption of the Unity Colleges will proceed as scheduled. The Federal Ministry of Education said all 115 schools are expected to reopen on Monday, September 14, with security arrangements and logistics put in place across the campuses. The ministry also urged parents, guardians and students to disregard unverified reports of continued closure, creating a standoff between the government’s resumption directive and the unions’ decision to suspend activities.