FG Keeps Ownership of King's College as Old Boys Take Over Operations Under PPP

The Federal Government has retained ownership of King's College, Lagos, while the King's College Old Boys' Association (KCOBA) will finance, rehabilitate, operate and maintain the school under a Public-Private Partnership concession.

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, made the clarification in a statement issued by the Ministry of Education on Friday. The government said the arrangement is not a sale or privatisation of the 117-year-old institution, and legal title remains with the Federal Government.

What the government is saying

Alausa said KCOBA's role is to mobilise the funding and management capacity required to rehabilitate, modernise and operate King's College, while the Federal Government keeps its statutory, regulatory, monitoring, inspection and enforcement powers.

He said the agreement was developed under the established PPP framework and subjected to technical, economic, financial, legal, environmental and social assessments, as well as value-for-money and fiscal-impact assessments, before receiving the required regulatory and Federal Executive Council approvals.

"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.

The minister said the agreement protects the public character and national identity of King's College and does not transfer ownership or create a proprietary interest in favour of KCOBA. Admissions will continue under applicable Unity College policies, including merit, transparency, fairness and national representation, with the National Common Entrance Examination remaining central to JSS1 entry.

Alausa also clarified that the concession does not provide for an automatic increase in school fees, although it does not establish a permanent fee freeze.

What the concession covers

Under the agreement, KCOBA will finance and implement major rehabilitation and new development covering academic and administrative buildings, hostels, staff quarters, laboratories, libraries, dining and health facilities, utilities, sports facilities, landscaping, drainage and environmental works.

The programme also includes new classrooms, laboratories and hostels, alongside improved learning resources and digital tools. The concession is principally designed to address the infrastructure and operational requirements of the 117-year-old institution and support its long-term sustainability.

A Staff Transition and Protection Framework will guide the transition while protecting staff welfare and ensuring continuity of essential services. Employment obligations, liabilities, arrears, pensions, gratuities and other staff entitlements arising before the transition remain the Federal Government's responsibility unless expressly assumed by KCOBA.

KCOBA will assume relevant operating expenses, including salaries, benefits and allowances for personnel engaged under the project. Government will monitor performance through key performance indicators, audits, inspections, reporting requirements and independent verification, with corrective and step-in powers in cases of serious contractual default.

Funding pressure and admissions

The concession comes against the backdrop of longstanding funding challenges facing Nigeria's Federal Unity Schools, including delays in overhead and school feeding allocations.

In 2025, Alausa called for reforms that would allow more decentralised financial approvals and quarterly releases to enable Unity Schools to plan and meet their obligations. During a meeting with the Accountant General of the Federation, Shamsudeen Ogunjimi, the minister said delayed releases had placed some schools under severe financial pressure.

Alausa proposed that financial transactions below N500 million be approved at ministry level, while those below N100 million be processed by agencies. He also called for quarterly releases to give Unity Schools predictable funding. Ogunjimi acknowledged the funding challenges and pledged to prioritise releases to the Ministry of Education, particularly for Unity Schools, while requesting a formal submission on the proposed termly disbursements.

The Federal Government recently released the 2026/2027 admission list for Junior Secondary School One candidates admitted into Federal Unity Colleges nationwide in August. In August 2025, the ministry announced that admissions into Federal Unity Colleges would be fully automated and conducted within each school's approved capacity, initially covering 80 conventional Federal Unity Colleges for JSS1 admissions. The government also approved the recruitment of 3,252 verified Parent-Teacher Association teachers into the federal public service.