RismadarVoice Reporters
September 24, 2026
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has suspended its strike across Federal Unity Colleges, clearing the way for academic activities to resume while a seven-member committee reviews the controversial concession agreement involving King’s College, Lagos.
The decision was reached following a meeting involving the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, ASCSN leadership and zonal coordinators of the Unity Schools in Kano on Tuesday.
According to a communiqué issued after the meeting, the union agreed to suspend the industrial action immediately to allow the committee to examine the King’s College concession document and address concerns raised by workers.
The decision affects the 115 Federal Unity Colleges whose resumption had been disrupted by the industrial action.
The schools were originally scheduled to reopen on September 13, but workers directed their members to boycott the resumption in protest against the Federal Government’s concession of King’s College to the King’s College Old Boys Association.
The union argued that the arrangement could have wider implications for the future of the Federal Unity College system.
Following negotiations between organised labour and the Federal Ministry of Education, implementation of the concession has been placed on hold pending the outcome of the review.
“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,” the communiqué stated.
ASCSN has two representatives on the seven-member committee.
Following the suspension, parents have proposed Sunday, September 27, 2026, for students to return to their schools, although the date remains subject to confirmation by the Federal Ministry of Education.
The Parent Teacher Association welcomed the suspension of the strike and called on the ministry to urgently clarify the resumption date to enable families to make necessary arrangements.
“We therefore call on the Federal Ministry of Education to urgently communicate its position on the proposed 27th September 2026 resumption date,” the parents said.
They urged the government, organised labour and other stakeholders to use the suspension of the industrial action to continue negotiations while allowing the review committee to complete its assignment.
The dispute followed a September 4 directive by the Federal Ministry of Education for the handover of King’s College to KCOBA after the conclusion of a concession agreement.
Under the arrangement, a transition committee was expected to oversee the handover within six months, after which Federal Government funding of the institution would cease.
The government has maintained that the arrangement does not amount to the sale or privatisation of King’s College.
Education Minister Dr Tunji Alausa said the Federal Government would retain legal ownership of the 117-year-old institution, while KCOBA would assume responsibility for financing, rehabilitating, modernising, operating and maintaining the school.
Workers opposed the arrangement, resulting in industrial action that affected the reopening of Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.
The Federal Government and organised labour subsequently reached an agreement on September 16 to suspend implementation of the concession for two weeks and establish the seven-member committee to review the agreement.
However, a faction of ASCSN led by its National President, Shehu Mohammed, had rejected the initial move to suspend the industrial action and maintained that the strike should continue.
With the latest resolution, parents are awaiting formal confirmation from the Federal Ministry of Education before returning students to the colleges.
