Odita Sunday 
By Odita Sunday
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has asked the Federal Government to disclose the legal and contractual framework behind a proposed Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement involving the management of King’s College, Lagos.
The rights group also urged the government to suspend the process until Nigerians are provided with details of who would control the school, the duration of the proposed arrangement and how public assets, finances, staffing and other responsibilities would be managed.
HURIWA, in a statement issued on 17th September 2026, argued that the status of King’s College as a federal institution requires any arrangement affecting its management to be subjected to due process, transparency and public accountability.
The organisation questioned whether the institution’s Old Boys’ Association could assume management responsibilities over a federal school simply because it is an alumni organisation that has supported the development of the institution.
The association’s president, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, has maintained that the proposed arrangement does not amount to a sale or privatisation of the school.
However, HURIWA said that position does not by itself resolve what it described as fundamental questions surrounding the proposed PPP.
The organisation wants the Minister of Education to clarify the legal authority for the arrangement and explain who would control the school, determine policy and fees, manage finances, employ or transfer teachers and oversee public assets.
It also wants the government to disclose what would happen to the school and its assets when the proposed PPP expires.
HURIWA said that if the government intends to concession the institution, the process should be open, transparent and competitive in accordance with applicable laws and procurement requirements.
The group also rejected the argument that financial contributions made by the Old Boys’ Association towards the development of the school could automatically confer ownership or management rights over the institution.
According to HURIWA, contributions towards a public school could instead be placed in a properly structured development endowment, with transparent rules governing how the funds are managed and used.
The organisation further argued that the Federal Government should not use partnerships with alumni groups as a substitute for its responsibility to fund and maintain public schools.
HURIWA also raised concerns over reported tensions between workers and the Old Boys’ Association, calling for dialogue involving workers, parents, students, the association, education authorities and other relevant stakeholders.
It urged the government not to take any irreversible decision concerning the ownership, control or management of King’s College until the legal and public-interest issues surrounding the proposed PPP had been addressed.
The rights group called on the Minister of Education to disclose the concession agreement, approval documents, legal basis, duration, financial obligations, management structure and safeguards for students and workers.
HURIWA said any partnership aimed at rehabilitating or improving King’s College should focus on development while preserving public ownership and accountability.
In the statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, HURIWA maintained that the future of the institution should be determined through an open and lawful process in the public interest.
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