The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and the Joint Congress of Unions of the Federal Ministry of Education have laid out two immediate conditions for the Federal Government to stop the total shutdown of the country’s 115 Federal Unity Colleges.
Academic activities across all Federal Government Colleges (FGCs), Federal Government Girls’ Colleges (FGGCs), and Federal Science and Technical Colleges (FSTCs) face total disruption tomorrow, which was the original resumption date for the 2026/2027 academic session.
To resolve the impasse and unlock the school gates, the unions maintain that the Federal government must meet these two non-negotiable demands: An immediate halt to the controversial King’s College, Lagos concession process and an official invitation from the Federal government to the unions for a transparent, round-table dialogue.
Until these terms are met, the unions have directed all workers nationwide to completely ignore the resumption orders issued by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
Labelling their boycott as “total, absolute, and unchanged,” labour leaders have urged parents, guardians, and the public to disregard government directives forcing schools to reopen.
In a statement issued on Sunday, September 13, the ASCSN Unit Chairman for King’s College, Mr. Samuel Enang, warned that the industrial action is a defensive step to protect public education.
The union has urged its members to stand firm against administrative intimidation, official roll calls, or threats of sanctions from ministry management.
At the heart of the nationwide shutdown is the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) unilateral approval to hand over King’s College, Lagos, under an alumni or concession agreement.
The unions revealed that the Ministry of Education bypassed a joint committee previously set up to address school infrastructure decay, opting instead to concession the premium institution.
Labour leaders argue that this decision sets a dangerous precedent that threatens the survival of affordable quality public education in Nigeria.
“Our strike is not merely an industrial dispute over welfare; it is a patriotic battle to save public education,” Mr. Enang stated. “If they succeed with King’s College today, every other Federal Government College in Nigeria will be sold to private interests tomorrow.”
While apologising to parents and guardians for the sudden academic disruption, the unions maintained that the gates of all 115 Unity Colleges will remain firmly locked until the Federal Government halts the concession and opens a formal channel for dialogue.