King's College concession sparks protest plans among parents

Parents and stakeholders are preparing to protest the Federal Government's concession of King's College, Lagos, to the King's College Old Boys' Association (KCOBA), signaling that the controversy surrounding the move is far from over.

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Parents are not in support of the move. Senior civil servants are also saying no to it. The community is also not in support. Old boys should not see the college as their property. They attended the school just like the current students are doing. King’s College is a public property.

Mr. Peter Oluwaseye, Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), stated that the protest is necessary due to widespread opposition. "Parents are not in support of the move. Senior civil servants are also saying no to it. The community is also not in support," Oluwaseye said. He stressed that old students should not view the college as their personal property, reminding them that King's College is public property. "The old students should give to the college willingly, not wanting to take it over. They won’t succeed. There is no private entity that can assemble the type of teachers we have in the college. We say no to concession, whatever guise it is being planned," he added.

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The old students should give to the college willingly, not wanting to take it over. They won’t succeed. There is no private entity that can assemble the type of teachers we have in the college. We say no to concession, whatever guise it is being planned.

This opposition follows an announcement last month by KCOBA President Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam regarding the concession. The association also launched a N100 billion endowment fund aimed at repositioning the 116-year-old institution. Notable donations include N10 million from Nigeria's First Lady, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, N1 billion from Ibrahim-Imam himself, and N100 million each from former Board of Trustees Chairman Chief Philip Asiodu and the association's new Board Chairman, Alhaji Femi Okunnu.

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Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with government to restore, strengthen, modernise, and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions.

KCOBA intends to use the concession funds for infrastructure renewal, teacher development, digital technology, scholarships, innovation, research, and student welfare. Ibrahim-Imam described the development as a defining moment and a potential blueprint for public education renewal in Nigeria. He clarified that the arrangement is not a privatization but a partnership framework where KCOBA collaborates with the government to upgrade the school without altering its ownership. "Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with government to restore, strengthen, modernise, and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions," he stated, emphasizing it as a historical moment that redefines the future of public education in Nigeria.

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Today, we gather at a truly defining moment, not merely in the history of King’s College Lagos, but in the continuing evolution of public education in Nigeria. There are occasions that simply mark the passage of time, and there are occasions that redefine history. Today belongs firmly to the latter.