The across the country strike by workers in Nigeria’s Federal Unity Colleges has been suspended, clearing the way for the resuming of the 115 schools after weeks of commercial action over the controversial concession of King’s College, Lagos.
The decision was reached at a conference including the leadership of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), the Association of Senior Citizen Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and zonal organizers of the Unity Schools held in Kano on Tuesday.
In a communiqué provided on Wednesday, the union leaders stated the strike would be suspended to allow a seven-member committee to analyze the concession contract involving King’s College and send its report.
The advancement followed about two weeks of disturbance throughout the Federal Unity Colleges after ASCSN and the Parent Teacher Association opposed the Federal government’s strategy to hand over the management of King’s College to its Old Boys Association.
The schools had actually been scheduled to resume on September 13. Nevertheless, ASCSN directed its members to keep away from work, arguing that the concession plan might have ramifications for the future of the Federal Unity College system.
According to the communiqué, the labour leaders and zonal planners examined the arrangement reached in between organised labour and the Federal Ministry of Education, along with the concession file for King’s College, before getting to the decision to suspend the strike.
The union said the concession process had actually already been placed on hold pending the result of the review committee, which has 2 ASCSN representatives among its seven members.
The zonal organizers subsequently agreed with the national leadership of ASCSN that the commercial action should be suspended right away while the committee performs its task.
The communiqué was signed by the various zonal planners of the Unity Schools, consisting of Omidiji Kunle for Lagos, Abubakar Muhammad for the North-West, Yusuf S.A. for the South-West, Tanko Augustine for the North-East, Udop Ogbodim for the South-South, Nosike F.O. for the South-East and Amodu Isiaka for the North-Central.
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Moms and dads look for September 27 return
With the suspension of the strike, the Parent Instructor Association of the Federal Unity Colleges has proposed Sunday, September 27, 2026, as the date for students to go back to their schools.
The moms and dads welcomed the development, explaining the suspension of the industrial action as a chance for the government, labour and other stakeholders to resolve their distinctions through discussion.
The declaration, signed by Ayopo Somefun, South-West Zonal Coordinator of the PTA Chairmen Association of Federal Unity Colleges, FTC Ijebu Mushin, Ogun State, said parents and guardians were all set to support the resumption of scholastic activities.
Nevertheless, the proposed September 27 date undergoes confirmation by the Federal Ministry of Education.
The parents urged the ministry to interact its position quickly so that families could make the essential arrangements for students to go back to their particular schools.
They also attracted all parties to sustain negotiations while the seven-member committee performs its review.
According to the PTA, the suspension of the strike should produce space for conversations involving the Federal government, the Ministry of Education, labour, school authorities and other stakeholders.
The moms and dads likewise required the reinstatement or release of PTA staff affected by actions taken by the government, saying the matter ought to be dealt with as part of efforts to restore normalcy to the schools.
They urged the government and labour unions not to interfere with the work of the seven-member committee, permitting it to complete its review without pressure.
The PTA attracted parents across the country to remain calm and wait on the Federal Ministry of Education to officially verify the resumption date.
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King’s College concession activated conflict
The conflict started 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) under the concession agreement.
The ministry stated a transition committee would manage the handover process for six months, after which Federal Government financing for the college would stop under the plan.
The government, however, has preserved that the concession does not amount to the sale or privatisation of King’s College.
Education Minister Dr Tunji Alausa stated the Federal Government would maintain legal ownership of the 117-year-old organization, while KCOBA would take obligation for funding, fixing up, modernising, operating and maintaining the school.
The proposed plan was strongly opposed by employees, who subsequently extended their demonstration to the larger Federal Unity College system.
Tensions intensified when members of the King’s College Old Boys Association went into the school properties with authorities presence amidst resistance from objecting workers.
On September 16, the Federal government and organised labour reached an agreement to suspend application of the concession for 2 weeks.
The contract likewise provided for the establishment of a seven-member committee to evaluate the concession file and think about the issues raised by the unions.
Nevertheless, a faction of ASCSN led by its National President, Shehu Mohammed, at first rejected the suspension and preserved that the strike stayed in effect.
The most recent choice by the union management and Unity School zonal coordinators has actually now put the industrial action on hold pending the outcome of the committee’s review.