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The Federal Government has dismissed reports that King’s College, Lagos, has been sold or privatised, insisting that the 117-year-old institution remains publicly owned and that legal title to the school is still vested in the Federal Government.
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Education Minister, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the agreement with the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA) is a Public-Private Partnership concession designed to bring in investment, modernise infrastructure and strengthen the management of the school, not transfer its ownership.
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Under the arrangement, KCOBA will finance and implement major rehabilitation and development projects covering classrooms, laboratories, hostels, staff quarters, libraries, health and sports facilities, utilities and other infrastructure, while government retains regulatory and oversight powers.
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The minister also assured students, parents and staff that admissions would remain merit-based and subject to Unity College policies, while existing staff obligations, including arrears, pensions and gratuities arising before the transition, would remain protected under the agreement.
September 12, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has reassured Nigerians that King’s College, Lagos, has not been sold or privatised, stressing that the prestigious institution remains a publicly owned national school.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, made the clarification while explaining the details of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concession agreement between the Federal Government and the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA).
In a statement issued by the ministry on Friday, Alausa said the Federal Government had retained the legal title to the institution and would continue to exercise its statutory, regulatory, monitoring, inspection and enforcement powers.
The minister said the concession should not be interpreted as a sale of the school, but as an arrangement to mobilise the investment and management capacity needed to strengthen the institution and secure its long-term sustainability.
“Let me assure Nigerians, particularly the King’s College community, that this concession is not a sale of King’s College. Government has retained legal title to the institution and will continue to exercise its oversight responsibilities”, he said.
According to him, KCOBA assumes responsibility under the concession agreement for financing, rehabilitating, modernising, operating and maintaining the school, while the government retains overall ownership and oversight.
Alausa said the concession was developed under the established PPP framework and subjected to technical, economic, financial, legal, environmental and social assessments. He added that the process also involved value-for-money analysis, fiscal-impact assessment, risk allocation and commercial structuring before the necessary regulatory approvals and approval of the Federal Executive Council were secured.
The minister stressed that the agreement expressly protects the public character and national identity of King’s College and does not transfer ownership or create a proprietary interest in favour of KCOBA. He said the government would continue to monitor implementation and ensure compliance with the terms of the agreement.
Alausa further explained that the arrangement does not involve a conventional monetary concession fee. Instead, KCOBA’s obligations include capital investment, operational funding, infrastructure modernisation, institutional strengthening and achievement of measurable performance targets.
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The government, he said, welcomes legitimate scrutiny of the agreement and urged stakeholders to judge the concession based on its implementation, transparency and measurable results.
These, according to him, include improvements in infrastructure, academic performance, admissions, staff welfare, student safety and wellbeing, proper utilisation of project funds and compliance with agreed Key Performance Indicators.
“Our responsibility is to protect the integrity and public purpose of King’s College while ensuring that the institution receives the investment, infrastructure and management capacity required to meet the needs of present and future generations”, the minister said.
KCOBA To Fund Major Infrastructure
Under the agreement, KCOBA is expected to finance and implement major rehabilitation and new development projects across the school.
The projects will cover academic and administrative buildings, hostels, staff quarters, laboratories, libraries, dining facilities, health facilities, utilities, sports and recreational facilities, landscaping, drainage and environmental works.
The programme will also provide for new classrooms, laboratories, hostels and specified sports facilities, as well as improved learning resources and digital tools.
Alausa said the concession was principally designed to address the significant infrastructure and operational needs of the 117-year-old institution.
“King’s College is an institution with a remarkable history, but preserving that history requires us to invest in its future. The concession provides a framework for sustained infrastructure renewal, improved learning facilities and stronger operational capacity”, he added.
Admissions To Remain Merit-Based
The minister also sought to dispel concerns that the concession could alter the admission process or undermine the public character of the school.
He said admissions would continue to comply with applicable Unity College policies and the principles of merit, transparency, fairness and national representation.
The framework provides for equitable representation from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, subject to applicable merit requirements.
For Junior Secondary School One, he said admission would continue through a rigorous testing and assessment process, with the National Common Entrance Examination remaining central to the prescribed entry framework.
On school fees, Alausa clarified that the agreement does not prescribe an automatic increase in fees. He, however, noted that the agreement does not establish a permanent fee freeze.
Staff Welfare Protected
Addressing concerns over the fate of teachers and other employees, Alausa said the concession agreement contains a formal Staff Transition and Protection Framework.
He said the framework was designed to facilitate an orderly transition, protect staff welfare and ensure continuity of teaching, boarding, security and other essential school services.
Existing employment obligations, liabilities, arrears, pensions, gratuities and other staff-related entitlements arising before the transition, he explained, would remain the responsibility of the government unless expressly assumed by KCOBA.
Following the transition, KCOBA would assume responsibility for relevant operating expenditure, including salaries, benefits and allowances for personnel engaged under the project, in accordance with applicable contracts and the law.
FG Retains Power To Intervene
The minister further stressed that the concession would not diminish government oversight of the institution. According to him, the agreement provides for measurable KPIs, infrastructure and asset-condition standards, academic and student-development measures, reporting requirements, audits, inspections and independent verification.
Government also retains corrective and step-in powers in cases of persistent underperformance or serious contractual default.
KCOBA is restricted from selling, transferring or otherwise disposing of concession assets without the required approvals. Asset stripping and deterioration beyond agreed standards are also prohibited.
The minister urged the King’s College community and the wider public to focus on the substance of the concession agreement and assess it based on its safeguards, investment obligations, implementation and measurable results.
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