The controversy over the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos, has intensified as parents and students of the federal secondary school reject the arrangement and threaten legal action and a possible boycott of the next academic session.

The development follows a peaceful protest staged by hundreds of parents and students on Thursday across parts of Lagos Island. The protesters demanded that the Federal Government retain ownership and control of the 117-year-old institution.

The protesters marched from the school gate through parts of Lagos Island, carrying placards opposing the proposed concession. Among the messages displayed were calls for the Federal Government to retain control of the school and warnings against what the protesters described as a concession of the institution.

Speaking during the protest, the Chairman of the school’s Parent-Teacher Association, Peter Oluwaleye, said parents had repeatedly communicated their opposition to the proposal to the Ministry of Education and the Presidency but had not received a satisfactory response.

He said the parents were prepared to challenge the concession in court if the Federal Government proceeded with the arrangement.

The PTA also said it would oppose the resumption of students for the new academic session, scheduled for September 13, unless the Ministry of Education formally responds to the concerns raised by parents.

At the centre of the dispute is the Federal Government’s decision to grant management rights of King’s College to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association under a proposed concession framework.

The Old Boys’ Association has defended the arrangement, maintaining that the concession is not a sale or privatisation of the school. According to the association, the partnership with the Federal Government is designed to rehabilitate, modernise and sustain the institution.

The association has also announced a ₦100 billion fund aimed at supporting the redevelopment of the college. Its plans reportedly include improvements to infrastructure, laboratories, hostels, libraries and sports facilities, as well as investment in digital learning, technology and other areas of student development.

However, the parents remain concerned about what the proposed arrangement could mean for the affordability and accessibility of the school. They fear that changes in management could eventually lead to higher fees and other charges that may make the institution less accessible to children from lower-income families.

The PTA has stressed that it is not opposed to improvements or private investment in education but wants any reform to preserve the public character of King’s College and protect students’ access to quality and affordable education.

The parents have also criticised what they described as inadequate consultation with key stakeholders, including parents, teachers and the host community, before the concession plan was announced.

The dispute therefore leaves the future of the proposed concession uncertain, with parents threatening legal action and possible disruption of the September resumption if their concerns are not addressed.

For now, the two sides remain divided: while the Old Boys’ Association presents the concession as a major opportunity to transform the historic institution, parents and students are demanding that the Federal Government maintain control of the school and consult stakeholders before taking further steps.