The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has suspended its industrial action over the concession of King’s College, Lagos, paving the way for the reopening of the country’s 115 Federal Unity Colleges.
The decision followed discussions involving the Trade Union Congress (TUC), ASCSN and zonal coordinators of the Unity Schools.
According to a communiqué issued on Wednesday, the unions agreed to suspend the strike to allow a seven-member committee to review the concession document relating to King’s College.
The concession dispute had led workers to shut the Federal Unity Colleges after the government moved to hand King’s College to its old students’ association under a concession arrangement.
The unions had opposed the arrangement and expressed concerns about its implications for the wider Federal Unity College system.
Under the agreement now being reviewed, the King’s College concession has been put on hold pending the committee’s report. ASCSN has two representatives on the seven-member committee.
The Federal Government has previously maintained that the arrangement does not amount to the sale or privatisation of King’s College. The Education Ministry said the government would retain legal ownership while the concessionaire would be responsible for financing, rehabilitating, modernising, operating and maintaining the institution.
The industrial dispute had disrupted the scheduled reopening of the Federal Unity Colleges.
Following the latest suspension, the Parent Teacher Association has proposed September 27, 2026, as a possible date for students to return, although the proposed date remains subject to confirmation by the Federal Ministry of Education.
The parents welcomed the suspension of the strike and called for continued dialogue among the government, labour unions, school authorities and other stakeholders.
They also urged the seven-member committee to complete its review without pressure.
The suspension provides an opportunity for the parties to resolve their disagreement through the review process while allowing academic activities in the affected colleges to resume.
However, the underlying disagreement over the future of King’s College remains unresolved pending the committee’s findings and subsequent decisions by the Federal Government and labour representatives.