CAPPA calls for the King’s College grant to be cancelled

Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has rejected the federal government-approved grant from King’s College, Lagos to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA).

CAPPA said the agreement represents an abdication of the government’s responsibility to fund and manage public education.

CAPPA Deputy Executive Director, Zikora Ibeh, in a statement issued on Friday urged the government to use the two-week suspension of the agreement to cancel it completely, rather than amend the signed memorandum of understanding and proceed with its implementation.

He said the federal government approved the grant in July, while KCOBA announced a $100 billion endowment fund to finance infrastructure renovation, teacher development, digital technology, scholarships and student well-being.

Following protests from workers and parents, he said implementation had been suspended and a seven-member committee had been formed to review the agreements.

Ibeh said the temporary suspension did not resolve the fundamental issue of transferring the management and governance of a publicly owned national institution to a private association.

He rejected the government’s argument that the deal did not amount to privatization because legal ownership of the school would remain with the state.

According to her, public ownership becomes increasingly hollow when the government transfers operational control, institutional governance and decision-making powers to a private entity.

“Established in 1909, King’s College is one of the oldest secondary schools in Nigeria and an important part of the Federal Unity College system.

“Unity Schools aimed to bring children from different regions, ethnic groups, religions and social backgrounds into shared institutions, while expanding access to quality public education.

“Despite deteriorating infrastructure and rising school costs, King’s College and other Unity Schools remain relatively accessible to working-class and low-income families.

“This distinguishes them from many private schools that have proliferated as public education has been systematically underfunded and commercialized,” he said.

CAPPA deputy executive director Zikora Ibeh said the deterioration of public schools should spur increased public investment rather than provide an excuse to transfer management.

“The government cannot neglect public schools until their infrastructure and learning environments deteriorate, and then present licensing as the only means to save them. The conditions at King’s College reflect inadequate public investment and weak administration,” Ibeh said.

He noted that the federal government’s proposed executive budget for 2026 allocated approximately $3.52 trillion for education, representing approximately 6.1% of the proposed national budget.

Ibeh argues that this remains inadequate for a country struggling with dilapidated schools, overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, weak sanitation systems and millions of children without access to quality education.

“At a time when federally collected revenues and tax revenues have increased substantially, rising public income should translate into greater investments in education and other essential services.

CAPPA called on the federal government to cancel the signed memorandum of understanding and commission an independent assessment of the school’s infrastructure, staffing and learning needs.

“The findings should form the basis of a rehabilitation plan financed through the federal budget, with clear deadlines and publicly reported expenditure.

“It should also propose a public oversight mechanism that includes representatives of the Ministry of Education, teachers, workers, parents, students, alumni and independent educational experts.

“He said all rehabilitation contracts, allocations and project reports should be published, while progress should be independently monitored,” he said.