The Federal Government has reassured students, parents, staff, alumni and other stakeholders that King’s College, Lagos, has not been sold or privatised, stressed that the institution remains a publicly owned national institution.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, gave the clarification while explaining the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concession agreement between the Federal Government and the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA).
Alausa said the concession does not transfer ownership of the 117-year-old institution to KCOBA, noting that the Federal Government retained legal title as well as its statutory powers of regulation, monitoring, inspection and enforcement.
“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 minister said.
Under the concession agreement, KCOBA is responsible for financing, rehabilitating, modernising, operating and maintaining the school, while the Federal Government retains oversight responsibilities over the institution.
The minister explained that the concession was developed under the established PPP framework and subjected to technical, economic, financial, legal, environmental and social assessments, including 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 protects the public character and national identity of King’s College and does not transfer ownership or create any proprietary interest in favour of KCOBA.
Alausa further clarified that admissions would continue to comply with applicable Unity College 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.
According to him, admission into JSS1 will continue through the prescribed testing and assessment process, with the National Common Entrance Examination remaining central to the entry framework.
On school fees, the minister said the concession agreement does not prescribe an automatic increase in fees, although it does not establish a permanent fee freeze.
He explained that the concession is 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 provided for new classrooms, laboratories and hostels, 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,” Alausa said.
Addressing concerns regarding teachers and other staff, the minister 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 remain the responsibility of the Federal Government, unless expressly assumed by KCOBA.
Following the transition, KCOBA will 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 does not diminish government oversight, as the agreement provides for measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), infrastructure and asset-condition standards, academic and student-development measures, reporting requirements, audits, inspections and independent verification.
Government, he said, retained 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 does 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 welcomes 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 the substance of the concession agreement and assess the arrangement on the basis of its safeguards, investment obligations, implementation and results.
He described King’s College as a national heritage institution, stressing that the objective of the concession was not merely to preserve its past but to build an institution worthy of its history, strengthened for the present and equipped for the future.
