Nigeria clarifies King’s College Lagos remains publicly owned

The Nigerian Federal Government has clarified that King’s College, Lagos, has not been sold or privatized. Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa stated that the government retains legal ownership and statutory oversight of the 117-year-old institution.

The clarification follows a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concession agreement with the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA). Under this arrangement, KCOBA is responsible for financing, rehabilitating, modernizing, operating, and maintaining the school’s infrastructure, including academic buildings, hostels, laboratories, and libraries.

The minister emphasized that the concession was developed through a formal PPP framework involving technical, financial, and legal assessments. The goal is to mobilize investment and management capacity to strengthen the national institution while the government maintains its regulatory and enforcement powers.