Academic activities at Unity Colleges nationwide resume today, following the suspension of the strike called by the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria over the concession of King’s College, Lagos.
Day students are expected to arrive at their various schools today, while boarding students began arriving on Sunday.
Principals had, at the weekend, sent out notices welcoming students back for the new session.
One of the notices read, “A new term, a new beginning. Happy resumption.”
It continued, “I welcome you all, the management, staff, students and parents, to the 2026/2027 academic session.”
“May this session bring every student greater confidence, deeper knowledge, excellent results and memorable achievements,” it added.
Boarding students were also sighted arriving at Unity Colleges in Lagos ahead of resumption.
Students of Unity Colleges are resuming for the new session at least two weeks after other students resumed the 2026/2027 session on September 13.
The resumption was delayed over the staff union’s rejection of the Federal Government’s concession of King’s College.
The union, alongside the Parent-Teacher Association, had directed Unity Colleges nationwide to stand in solidarity with King’s College and shun resumption.
The impasse took a new turn when the King’s College Old Boys, amid police presence, defied the protesting staff who blocked entry, to make their way into the college.
This further aggravated the situation, with the staff union demanding that the Federal Government order the police away from King’s College.
Amid the tension, the Federal Government paused the King’s College concession and set up a seven-man committee to review the concession document.
The dispute intensified after the Federal Ministry of Education, in a September 4 letter, directed the immediate handover of King’s College to the King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA) following the conclusion of the concession agreement.
On September 16, the Federal Government and organised labour reached an agreement to put implementation of the concession on hold for two weeks.
The ASCSN had maintained that the concession of King’s College threatened the future of the Federal Unity College system.
The government, however, maintained that the arrangement was not a sale or privatisation of King’s College.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the government retained legal ownership of the 117-year-old institution, while KCOBA would be responsible for financing, rehabilitating, modernising, operating and maintaining the school.
Digital Operations Manager at The Students Forum Nigeria.
