Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The gates of Nigeria's Federal Unity Colleges are finally reopening. After weeks of a crippling nationwide strike that kept over 115 schools shut and thousands of students at home, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has suspended its industrial action over the contentious concession of King's College, Lagos, to its Old Boys Association. The decision, reached after a marathon meeting in Kano on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, has paved the way for academic activities to resume across the country, with the Parent Teacher Association proposing Sunday, September 27, 2026, as the new resumption date for students nationwide.
The strike, which began in early September, was called to protest the Federal Government's plan to hand over the management of the 117-year-old King's College to the King's College Old Boys Association under a 35-year public-private partnership arrangement. Staff under the ASCSN, alongside the PTA, had shut down the colleges, arguing that the concession threatened the future of the entire Federal Unity College system and could lead to job losses for thousands of workers. The schools were originally scheduled to resume on September 13, but workers refused to return, defying a Federal Ministry of Education directive and insisting that the strike would continue until their concerns were addressed.
The breakthrough came after the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, reached an agreement with organised labour on September 16 to suspend the implementation of the concession for two weeks and set up a seven-member committee to review the concession document and address the unions' concerns. The committee, which includes two representatives each from the ASCSN, the Trade Union Congress, and the King's College Old Boys Association, alongside officials from the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, has been given two weeks to complete its assignment and submit its recommendations.
In a communiqué issued on Wednesday, September 23, following the Kano meeting, the union leaders resolved to suspend the strike to allow the committee to carry out its review. The communiqué, signed by the zonal coordinators of the Unity Schools from the six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory, stated: "Considering the above, the Zonal Coordinators of the Unity Schools agreed with the National Leadership of the ASCSN that the strike be suspended immediately while awaiting the report of the committee." In a separate notice, the ASCSN Secretary-General, Joshua Apebo, formally directed all members in the Federal Unity Colleges to return to their respective schools, declaring, "In view of the above, the ongoing strike at the Federal Unity Colleges across Nigeria is hereby suspended."
However, the union has made it clear that the suspension is not a permanent termination of the industrial action. The ASCSN warned that the strike could be resumed at any time without further notice, depending on developments arising from the committee's review and subsequent directives from its national leadership. The TUC Secretary-General, Comrade Nuhu Toho, who was present at the Kano meeting, echoed this sentiment, stating, "Suspending an action is not calling off." He stressed that the unions would closely monitor the committee's findings and could resume the action immediately if they were dissatisfied with the outcome.
Following the suspension, the Parent Teacher Association moved swiftly to propose a resumption date. In a statement issued by its South-West Zonal Coordinator, Farmer Ayopo Somefun, on behalf of parents and guardians nationwide, the PTA proposed Sunday, September 27, 2026, for students to return to school for the 2026/2027 academic session. The PTA welcomed the suspension of the strike, saying it was "prepared to support the immediate restoration of academic activities in the Federal Unity Colleges." However, the association noted that the proposed date remained subject to confirmation by the Federal Ministry of Education, urging the ministry to communicate its position promptly to enable families to make the necessary arrangements for their children's return.
The PTA also called for continued dialogue between the government and labour unions, urging all stakeholders to allow the seven-member review committee to complete its assignment without pressure. "Let the strike remain suspended. Let dialogue continue. Let the review committee do its work. Let the Federal Ministry of Education confirm its readiness," the parents said, adding, "And let our children return to school on Sunday, 27th September 2026, if the FME is in agreement with the proposed date."
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, had earlier directed all Federal Unity Colleges to resume academic activities immediately following the suspension of the industrial action. He reaffirmed the Federal Government's commitment to continued engagement with the unions and other stakeholders on the King's College management arrangement, assuring that the process would be guided by mutual respect, the law, and the national interest. Alausa also assured the unions that no staff member would be dismissed, demonised, or punished as a result of the issues under consideration, and that all academic and non-academic staff would continue to be treated in accordance with the Public Service Rules.
The dispute over King's College began in July 2026 when the Federal Government approved the concession of the institution to the King's College Old Boys Association. The government has consistently maintained that the arrangement is not a sale or privatisation of the school, insisting that the Federal Government remains the legal owner of the 117-year-old institution, while the Old Boys Association would be responsible for funding, rehabilitation, modernisation, operation, and maintenance. However, the concession sparked widespread opposition from labour unions, parents, and civil society organisations, who feared it would lead to increased fees, job losses, and the erosion of the public education system. The Nigeria Labour Congress had also opposed the plan, warning of rising fees and the potential collapse of the Unity College system.
As the seven-member committee begins its review, the future of King's College and the broader Federal Unity College system hangs in the balance. For now, however, the immediate crisis has been averted. The gates are reopening, the classrooms are ready, and the students are set to return. The question on everyone's mind is whether the committee's recommendations will finally resolve the controversy or merely postpone the next confrontation. For the parents and students of Nigeria's Unity Colleges, the answer cannot come soon enough.
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