Press Statement.
20/09/2026
DON’T CONCESSION KINGS COLLEGE
The preceding week was awash with protests from various entities against attempts by government to concession the management of Kings College, Lagos to the alumni of the college, as a pilot in preparation for more concessions of more unity colleges.
The reason for the school’s old students association to want to wrest from government the management of the school stemmed from years of neglect, under funding, corruption, indiscipline, broken services all of which turned the once pride of the nation into an eyesore and disgrace.
Their bid to take over the school was therefore out of sincere concern to restore the glory of the school.
However, buried in this noble initiative lurks grave danger for our secondary school education under the supretendency of government. Once the Kings College Old Boys initiative succeeds, relying on precedent, other Unity Colleges will be concessioned to nebulous entities, entities of doubtful origin without the capacity to manage secondary school education, akin to the Daily Times story.
Coupled with this, soon enough new school fees and tariffs will place the colleges out of the reach of students from average families, no matter their intellectual endowments.
Yet, the obligation to educate its citizenry resides with the State. It is a duty it cannot abdicate.
Having learnt and accordingly returned the schools it acquired from the missions, the burden of maintaining secondary level education is assumed to be considerably less.
Even in advanced economies there are quite a number of schools including universities that are funded by government.
Why would our case be different?
It is in light of this that we endorse the protests against concessioning of Kings College, and indeed, other Unity Colleges.
We urge the government to sufficiently fund and maintain those colleges for their noble contributions to our history and society. Their contributions to unity at an impressionistic age and quality education cannot be quantified. So, rather than sell the schools through the back door, government should maintain or sustain the culture of open competition between missionary schools, private schools and government schools.
Finally, even as we run a market economy, what will be too sacred for government to concession?
Comrade Joe Ajaero
President