The Federal Government has said King’s College, Lagos, has not been sold or privatised, stressing that it remains a publicly owned national institution with legal title retained by the government.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, made the clarification in a statement Friday while explaining the Public-Private Partnership concession agreement between the Federal Government and the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA).
Alausa said the agreement allows KCOBA to finance, rehabilitate, modernise, operate and maintain the 117-year-old institution, while the Federal Government retains legal ownership as well as its statutory, regulatory, monitoring, inspection and enforcement powers.
“Let me assure Nigerians, particularly the King's College community, that this concession is not a sale of King's College,” Alausa said. “Government has retained legal title to the institution and will continue to exercise its oversight responsibilities.”
He said the arrangement was designed to mobilise the investment and management capacity needed to strengthen the school and address its infrastructure and operational needs.
According to the minister, the concession was developed under the established PPP framework and underwent technical, economic, financial, legal, environmental and social assessments, as well as value-for-money and fiscal-impact assessments, risk allocation and commercial structuring before receiving the required regulatory and Federal Executive Council approvals.
Alausa said the agreement expressly 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.
He also said admissions would continue to follow applicable Unity College policies and the principles of merit, transparency, fairness and national representation, including equitable representation from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, subject to applicable merit requirements.
The minister said admission into JSS1 would continue through testing and assessment, with the National Common Entrance Examination remaining central to the prescribed entry process.
On school fees, Alausa said the agreement does not provide for an automatic increase in fees, but also does not establish a permanent fee freeze.
He said the concession is principally intended to address the institution’s significant infrastructure and operational requirements and secure its long-term sustainability.
Under the agreement, KCOBA is responsible for financing and implementing major rehabilitation and new development projects covering academic and administrative buildings, hostels, staff quarters, laboratories, libraries, dining and health facilities, utilities, sports and recreational facilities, landscaping, drainage and environmental works.
The programme also provides for new classrooms, laboratories and hostels, as well as specified sports facilities, improved learning resources and digital tools.
“King's College is an institution with a remarkable history, but preserving that history requires us to invest in its future,” Alausa said. “The concession provides a framework for sustained infrastructure renewal, improved learning facilities and stronger operational capacity.”
The minister also addressed concerns over teachers and other school employees, saying the agreement contains a Staff Transition and Protection Framework intended to ensure an orderly transition while protecting staff welfare and maintaining essential school services.
He said existing employment obligations, liabilities, arrears, pensions, gratuities and other staff-related entitlements arising before the transition would remain the responsibility of the Federal Government unless expressly assumed by KCOBA.
Following the transition, KCOBA would assume responsibility for relevant operating costs, including salaries, benefits and allowances for personnel engaged under the project, in line with applicable contracts and the law.
Alausa said the concession would not remove government oversight of the school.
He said the agreement provides for measurable key performance indicators, infrastructure and asset-condition standards, academic and student-development measures, reporting requirements, audits, inspections and independent verification.
The Federal Government would also retain corrective and step-in powers in cases of persistent underperformance or serious contractual default, according to the minister.
KCOBA would be restricted from selling, transferring or otherwise disposing of concession assets without the required approvals, while asset stripping and deterioration beyond agreed standards would be prohibited.
Alausa further said the agreement does not involve a conventional monetary concession fee. Instead, KCOBA’s obligations include capital investment, operational funding, infrastructure modernisation, institutional strengthening and measurable performance.
The minister said the government welcomed legitimate scrutiny of the arrangement and urged stakeholders to assess it based on its implementation, transparency and measurable results.
He said these would include improvements in infrastructure, academic performance, admissions, staff welfare, student safety and wellbeing, proper use of project funds and compliance with agreed performance targets.
“Our responsibility is to protect the integrity and public purpose of King's College while ensuring that the institution receives the investment, infrastructure and management capacity required to meet the needs of present and future generations,” Alausa said.
He added that the government would continue to monitor implementation and hold all parties to their contractual obligations.
The minister urged the King’s College community and the wider public to examine the substance of the concession agreement, including its safeguards, investment obligations, implementation and expected results.
King’s College, founded more than a century ago, remains a national heritage institution, with the government saying the objective of the concession is to preserve its history while strengthening the school for present and future generations.
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