Teachers’ unions shut down some Federal Unity Colleges across the country yesterday, protesting the concession of King’s College, Lagos, and other unity colleges.
Parents and pupils were left stranded as members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, shut the gates of the colleges, defying the Federal Government’s directive for schools to reopen.
The ASCSN had earlier directed workers in Unity Colleges nationwide not to resume duties yesterday over the planned concession.
The association, an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, announced the directive in a communique issued after an emergency virtual meeting of its zonal coordinators held on Thursday.
The ASCSN and the Joint Congress of Unions of the Federal Ministry of Education vowed to sustain their boycott of resumption across all 115 Federal Unity Colleges in the country.
The meeting was called in response to what the union described as the unilateral decision of the Federal Ministry of Education to transfer King’s College, Lagos, to the school’s Old Boys Association without involving other stakeholders.
The association described the move as an “assault and an affront” to the unity of Nigeria.
It argued that Unity Colleges were established to provide a model of secondary education where children from different backgrounds could interact, learn tolerance and promote national cohesion.
The Federal Ministry of Education, in a circular dated September 11 and signed by the Director, Senior Secondary Education Department, Adeniji Ibrahim, had directed principals of Federal Unity Colleges to comply with the minister’s order to reopen.
The ministry described the communique suspending resumption as “illegal, unauthorised” and instructed principals to disregard it.
It ordered that college gates, hostels, classrooms and administrative blocks be opened yesterday to receive returning students, with full academic activities to begin today.
It also directed all academic and non-academic staff to report for duty and asked principals to liaise with the police and the Department of State Services, DSS, to ensure security.
But when reporters visited some of the colleges scheduled to resume yesterday, they found them under lock and key.
Some schools had notices pasted on their gates indicating that academic activities would not resume as planned.
At the Federal Government Girls’ College, FGGC, Ezzamgbo, Ebonyi State, parents and students were left stranded as ASCSN members shut the gates.
A notice signed by the Unit Chairman of ASCSN, Dr Rachael Benson-Ogbu, read, “No resumption till further notice.”
It urged parents to “remain calm, keep your wards with you at home and avoid making unnecessary trips to the school on Sunday, 13th September 2026, pending further clarification and official directives.”
One of the affected parents, Mr Obinna Uchendu, said the contradictory directives had left parents unsure of what to do.
At the Federal Government Boys’ College, Apo, Abuja, the school premises were deserted, with no teachers available to receive students.
The Chairperson of the Parent-Teacher Association, Mrs Amina Abdullahi, confirmed that the school did not open as scheduled.
She said the development was in compliance with the teachers’ union directive and that the school was still awaiting further guidance from the Federal Ministry of Education.
Many parents who took their children to the Federal Technical College, Uromi, and the Federal Government Girls’ College, Benin, were also turned away.
Both colleges remained under lock and key despite the deployment of security agencies.
Some parents who had already arranged transportation from Benin City to FTC Uromi cancelled their trips.
One parent said they were unsure whether the school would open as assured by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa.
The presence of security personnel did not stop the protesting staff from locking the school entrance.
Members of the ASCSN at FGGC Benin carried placards, vowing not to relent until the Federal Government reversed its decision on the King’s College concession.
Meanwhile, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Audu Amba, backed the suspension of resumption across Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.
Amba urged the Federal Government to suspend the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos, and consult relevant stakeholders on the policy.
He said the leadership of the union’s Federal Wing would meet today to deliberate on the development and decide the next line of action.
Amba described the situation as avoidable, saying all stakeholders should have been consulted before the government made such a decision.
He said teachers, being central to the running of schools, should have been carried along before the concession was introduced.
Digital Operations Manager at The Students Forum Nigeria.
