Federal government will keep legal ownership of the historic King’s College in Lagos while handing day-to-day operations, financing and rehabilitation to the school’s old boys’ association under a public-private partnership, Education Minister Maruf Tunji Alausa said Friday.
The arrangement does not amount to a sale or privatisation of the 117-year-old institution, the Ministry of Education stressed in a statement clarifying the deal after public concerns.
“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,” Alausa said.
Under the concession, the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA) will raise funds and manage the rehabilitation and modernisation of academic buildings, hostels, laboratories, libraries, staff quarters and other facilities. The government retains regulatory, monitoring and enforcement powers, along with the right to step in if the association fails to meet contractual obligations.
Admissions will continue to follow existing Unity College rules based on merit, transparency and national balance, with the National Common Entrance Examination remaining the main entry route for junior secondary students. The deal does not automatically raise school fees, though it does not impose a permanent freeze either.
Staff welfare is protected under a transition framework. Pre-existing employment liabilities, pensions and arrears remain the government’s responsibility, while KCOBA will cover operating costs for personnel hired under the project.
The partnership aims to tackle long-standing infrastructure and funding shortfalls that have affected federal unity schools across Nigeria.
