•King’s College, Lagos main gate
The federal government has clarified that King’s College, Lagos, has not been sold or privatised, stressing that the institution remains publicly owned with legal title retained by the government.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, made this known in a statement issued today by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo.
Alausa was clarifying the Public-Private Partnership concession involving the King’s College Old Boys’ Association, following concerns over the ownership and management of the 117-year-old institution.
The minister explained that under the concession agreement, KCOBA would be responsible for financing, rehabilitating, modernising, operating and maintaining the school, while the Federal Government would retain legal title and its statutory, regulatory, monitoring, inspection and enforcement powers.
“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.
“The purpose of the arrangement is to mobilise the investment and management capacity required to strengthen this important national institution,” the minister said.
Alausa said the concession was developed under the established PPP framework and subjected to technical, economic, financial, legal, environmental and social assessments, value-for-money analysis, fiscal-impact assessment, risk allocation and commercial structuring before securing the necessary regulatory and Federal Executive Council approvals.
He stressed that the agreement expressly protected the public character and national identity of King’s College and did not transfer ownership or create a proprietary interest in favour of KCOBA.
According to the minister, admissions would continue to comply with applicable Unity Colleges policies and the principles of merit, transparency, fairness and national representation, including equitable representation from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, subject to applicable merit requirements.
He added that JSS1 admission would continue through a rigorous testing and assessment process, with the National Common Entrance Examination central to the prescribed entry framework.
The minister also clarified that the agreement did not prescribe an automatic increase in school fees, while noting that it did not establish a permanent fee freeze.
Alausa said the concession was principally designed to address the significant infrastructure and operational requirements of the 117-year-old institution and secure its long-term sustainability.
Under the agreement, KCOBA is responsible for financing and implementing major rehabilitation and new development covering 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 also provides for new classrooms, laboratories, hostels and specified sports facilities, as well as improved learning resources and digital tools.
“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,” the minister said.
On concerns regarding teachers and other staff, Alausa said the agreement contained a formal Staff Transition and Protection Framework designed to facilitate an orderly transition while protecting staff welfare and ensuring continuity of teaching, boarding, security and other essential school services.
He explained that existing employment obligations, liabilities, arrears, pensions, gratuities and other staff-related entitlements arising before the transition remained the responsibility of the grantor 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 law.
The minister emphasised that the concession did not diminish government oversight.
The agreement provides for measurable Key Performance Indicators, infrastructure and asset-condition standards, academic and student-development measures, reporting requirements, audits, inspections and independent verification.
The government retains corrective and step-in powers in cases of persistent underperformance or serious contractual default.
KCOBA is also restricted from selling, transferring or otherwise disposing of concession assets without the required approvals, while asset stripping and deterioration beyond agreed standards are prohibited.
Alausa further explained that the agreement did not provide for a conventional monetary concession fee.
Instead, KCOBA’s obligations include capital investment, operational funding, infrastructure modernisation, institutional strengthening and measurable performance.
He said the federal government welcomed legitimate scrutiny and urged stakeholders to judge the arrangement by its implementation, transparency and measurable results, particularly improvements in infrastructure, academic performance, admissions, staff welfare, student safety and wellbeing, proper utilisation of project funds and compliance with agreed KPIs.
“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. We will continue to monitor implementation and hold all parties to their contractual obligations,” the minister assured.
The minister called on the King’s College community and the Nigerian public to engage with the substance of the concession agreement and assess the arrangement based on its safeguards, investment obligations, implementation and results.
“King’s College is a national heritage institution. The objective is not merely to preserve its past, but to build an institution worthy of its history, strengthened for the present and equipped for the future,” the statement said.
