Academic activities have resumed across Nigeria’s Federal Unity Colleges following the suspension of the strike by the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria over the Federal Government’s concession of King’s College, Lagos.
While day students returned to their schools on Monday, boarding students had begun arriving at the colleges on Sunday, following notices issued by principals over the weekend ahead of the 2026/2027 academic session.
One of the notices issued to students and parents read, “A new term, a new beginning. Happy resumption.
“I welcome you all, the management, staff, students and parents, to the 2026/2027 academic session.
“May this session bring every student greater confidence, deeper knowledge, excellent results and memorable achievements.”
The resumption brings an end to a disruption that delayed the opening of the Unity Colleges by about two weeks, after the staff union directed workers to shun academic activities in solidarity with employees and stakeholders of King’s College.
Other schools across the country had commenced the 2026/2027 academic session on September 13, but the Unity Colleges remained closed as the dispute over the concession of the Lagos institution intensified.
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria had rejected the concession arrangement, arguing that it could have wider implications for the Federal Unity College system.
The union, backed by the Parent-Teacher Association, subsequently called for solidarity across the Unity Colleges and directed staff to stay away from work.
The dispute escalated at King’s College when members of the King’s College Old Boys Association, amid a police presence, attempted to access the school while protesting staff blocked entry.
The development heightened tensions between the Federal Government, the staff union and stakeholders opposed to the concession, with the union demanding the withdrawal of the police from the school.
The controversy followed a September 4 directive from the Federal Ministry of Education ordering the immediate handover of King’s College to the King’s College Old Boys Association following the conclusion of the concession agreement.
The Federal Government and organised labour later reached an agreement on September 16 to suspend implementation of the concession for two weeks, paving the way for discussions aimed at resolving the dispute.
The government subsequently constituted a seven-member committee to review the concession agreement and examine the issues raised by labour and other stakeholders.
The Federal Government has consistently maintained that the arrangement does not amount to the sale or privatisation of King’s College.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the government retained legal ownership of the 117-year-old institution, while the King’s College Old Boys Association would be responsible for financing, rehabilitating, modernising, operating and maintaining the school under the concession arrangement.
With the Unity Colleges now reopened, attention is expected to shift to the outcome of the committee’s review and the future of the King’s College concession, which remains at the centre of the dispute between the government and organised labour.
For students and parents, however, the immediate priority is the restoration of normal academic activities after the delayed start to the new session.
