The Federal Government has assured workers of King’s College, Lagos, that they will retain their jobs under the proposed new administrative arrangement for the institution.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, gave the assurance on Monday during a meeting with organised labour over concerns surrounding the planned restructuring of the 117-year-old school.
The meeting was attended by the Trade Union Congress, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and other affiliated unions, as well as the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, and the Acting Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Folake Olatunji-Davies.
The controversy centres on the proposed administrative arrangement, particularly the use of the term “concessioning,” which has raised concerns among workers over their employment status and the future management of the school.
Alausa said the reforms were part of the Federal Government’s broader education agenda under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, but stressed that workers’ welfare would be considered alongside the national interest.
“While workers’ welfare remains important, all stakeholders must also consider the national interest and the future of the nation’s children,” he said.
The minister commended the unions for defending workers’ rights and agreeing to resolve the dispute through dialogue.
He also praised the Acting Permanent Secretary for returning from an official trip to London to address the concerns raised by the unions.
Olatunji-Davies assured the unions that the transition would be handled smoothly and clarified that affected workers would remain civil servants.
She said they could either remain at King’s College under the new arrangement or transfer to other schools within Lagos State, depending on their preference.
She added that a committee would be constituted to manage the transition, ensure stakeholder participation and safeguard the heritage and objectives of the institution.
The TUC General Secretary, Nuhu Toro, said the unions were seeking clarity on the proposed arrangement, particularly what “concessioning” would mean for the school and its workers.
He said the uncertainty had earlier prompted an instruction for workers in unity schools and King’s College to down tools, but interventions by senior government officials had brought the parties to the negotiating table.
Toro said the unions preferred dialogue, noting that any disruption to the schools would ultimately affect pupils, particularly those from less-privileged families.
“We are on the same page on the future of our children,” he said.
King’s College, established in 1909, is one of Nigeria’s oldest government-owned secondary schools and a prominent member of the Federal Government’s unity school system.
