Staff of Nigeria’s Federal Unity Colleges have suspended their industrial action over the Federal Government’s concession of King’s College, Lagos, clearing the way for academic activities to resume across the 115 Unity Colleges nationwide.
The suspension was announced by the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) following a meeting involving its national leadership, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and zonal coordinators of the Unity Schools in Kano on Tuesday.
In a communiqué issued on Wednesday, the union said the decision was taken to allow a seven-member committee to examine the concession document for King’s College and consider the concerns raised by organised labour.
The development follows an earlier agreement between the Federal Government and labour to temporarily halt implementation of the King’s College concession while the committee conducts its review. Two members of the committee are representing ASCSN.
The union’s latest decision effectively brings the strike to an end pending the submission of the committee’s report.
The industrial action had disrupted the reopening of the Federal Unity Colleges after workers opposed the concession of King’s College to its Old Boys Association. The schools were expected to resume on September 13, but ASCSN members stayed away from work as the disagreement over the concession intensified.
The controversy began after the Federal Ministry of Education directed the handover of King’s College to the King’s College Old Boys Association under a concession arrangement. The Federal Government has maintained that the agreement does not amount to selling or privatising the institution, saying it would retain legal ownership of the school.
Under the arrangement, the Old Boys Association is expected to finance, rehabilitate, modernise, operate and maintain the institution, while the government retains ownership.
The concession, however, triggered opposition from workers and other stakeholders, eventually leading to the wider strike across the Federal Unity Colleges.
With the latest suspension, the union has directed its members to return to work while the seven-member committee carries out its review.
The Parent Teacher Association of the Federal Unity Colleges has welcomed the suspension and proposed September 27, 2026, as a possible date for students to return to school. The proposed date is subject to confirmation by the Federal Ministry of Education.
The parents have also called on the government, labour unions and other stakeholders to sustain dialogue and allow the review committee to complete its assignment.
