The Unity Colleges strike has been suspended after the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and zonal coordinators of the Federal Unity Schools reached a fresh agreement on the industrial action.
The decision, announced on Wednesday, September 23, followed a meeting held in Kano on Tuesday, where union leaders reviewed the agreement reached with the Federal Ministry of Education and examined the concession arrangement involving King’s College, Lagos.
According to a communiqué issued after the meeting, the unions agreed to suspend the strike to allow a seven-member committee to review the concession document and consider the issues surrounding the proposed arrangement.
The development is expected to clear the way for academic activities to resume across the Federal Unity Colleges after the dispute prevented students from returning for the 2026/2027 academic session as originally planned.
Why the Unity Colleges Strike Started
The Unity Colleges strike began after workers opposed the Federal Government’s plan to concession King’s College, Lagos, to the institution’s Old Boys Association.
The colleges had been scheduled to resume on September 13, but members of ASCSN directed workers to boycott the resumption, arguing that the concession raised concerns about the future and management of the Federal Unity College system.
The dispute became more complicated after different groups within ASCSN issued conflicting positions on whether the industrial action should continue. A faction led by ASCSN National President Shehu Mohammed had maintained that the strike remained in force even after an earlier agreement between organised labour and the Federal Government.
The latest meeting in Kano has now produced a fresh directive from the union leadership to suspend the action while the committee carries out its review.
The Federal Government had previously agreed to suspend implementation of the King’s College concession for two weeks and establish a seven-member committee to examine the agreement. The latest union decision is linked to that review process, with ASCSN providing two representatives on the committee.
What Happens to King’s College Concession?
The government’s proposed arrangement involves the King’s College Old Boys Association taking responsibility for areas including the financing, rehabilitation, modernisation, operation and maintenance of the school.
Education Minister Tunji Alausa has maintained that the arrangement does not amount to the sale or privatisation of King’s College. He said the Federal Government would retain legal ownership of the 117-year-old institution, while the Old Boys Association would manage the responsibilities outlined under the concession agreement.
However, the unions have continued to raise concerns about the arrangement, which led to the wider shutdown of Federal Unity Colleges and delayed the beginning of the new academic session.
With the Unity Colleges strike now suspended, the seven-member committee is expected to review the concession document and submit its findings, while implementation of the King’s College arrangement remains on hold pending the outcome.
The Parent-Teacher Association has proposed September 27, 2026, for students to return to some Unity Colleges, although individual schools are expected to communicate their arrangements to parents and students. Guardian reported that some schools had already indicated Sunday, September 27, as a possible check-in date.
The suspension does not necessarily mean the dispute has been permanently resolved. ASCSN has stated that the industrial action could resume depending on developments from the committee’s review and subsequent directives from the union’s leadership.
For now, the decision provides a path toward reopening the Federal Unity Colleges while giving the committee an opportunity to examine the King’s College concession and address the concerns raised by organised labour.