CAPPA Calls for Cancellation of King’s College Concession

Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the Federal Government to cancel its concession of King’s College, Lagos, to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA), arguing that it transfers the management of a public institution to a private body.

CAPPA said the two-week suspension of the concession should be used to cancel the signed Memorandum of Understanding rather than amend and implement it.

The Federal Government approved the concession in July, while KCOBA announced a N100 billion endowment fund for infrastructure, teacher development, digital technology, scholarships and students’ welfare.

Following protests by workers and parents, implementation was suspended and a seven-member committee was set up to review the agreement.

But CAPPA said the suspension does not address what it described as the fundamental issue of transferring operational control and governance of a publicly owned institution to a private association.

The group also rejected the government’s position that the arrangement does not amount to privatisation because ownership of King’s College would remain with the state.

CAPPA’s Assistant Executive Director, Zikora Ibeh, said deteriorating public schools should prompt increased government investment rather than concessions.

“The condition of King’s College reflects inadequate public investment and weak administration,” Ibeh said.

CAPPA noted that the Federal Government’s 2026 executive budget proposal allocated about N3.52 trillion to education, representing approximately 6.1 per cent of the proposed national budget.

It said the allocation remains inadequate amid challenges including dilapidated schools, overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and poor sanitation.

The organisation urged the government to cancel the MoU, independently assess King’s College’s infrastructure and staffing needs, and develop a costed rehabilitation plan funded through the federal budget.

It also called for a public oversight mechanism involving government officials, teachers, workers, parents, students, alumni and independent education experts, with rehabilitation contracts, budget allocations and project reports made publicly available.