The King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOB) says its planned concession of King’s College, Lagos, is not a purchase of the 117-year-old institution but an attempt to secure long-term funding for its restoration.
A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and KCOB member, Olumide Akpata, made the clarification during an interview on Arise Television amid objections from education unions and other stakeholders.
Akpata said the association had committed to mobilising ₦100 billion for infrastructure, learning facilities and other improvements at the federal unity school.
“King’s College has not been sold. We have not bought the school, the school has not been offered to us, and we are not interested in buying our school,” he said.
He described the institution as the association’s alma mater and said former students considered its deterioration a matter requiring intervention.
According to Akpata, KCOB has spent billions of naira on the school over the years, funding building renovations, sports facilities, generators, ICT laboratories and a library equipped for visually impaired students.
He said several of those projects had suffered from poor maintenance, prompting the old boys to seek a formal framework through which their contributions could be sustained.
“Yes, we have our old boy community ready to put together these funds, the N100 billion. The commitments are on the table,” Akpata said.
He explained that the concession would give KCOB a structured role in mobilising resources and improving the institution while the federal government deals with competing responsibilities across the education sector.
“We know you have a lot on your plate. We are ready to help. We have been helping, and we have demonstrated capacity. Going forward, can we formalise this engagement?” he quoted the association as telling the government.
Akpata also addressed concerns from teachers, parents and other stakeholders. He said the Federal Ministry of Education had engaged unions during the process and that discussions could continue.
He acknowledged allegations of admission racketeering and multiple levies at the school, although he said he had not personally witnessed such practices. He added that any established leakages were among the problems the concession was intended to tackle.
On the terms of the arrangement, Akpata said KCOB would be bound by provisions covering access, inclusivity and fees. He noted that failure to satisfy those conditions could cost the association the concession.
He projected visible improvements within three years, citing the experience of Government College Ibadan as a reference point.
“It is a marathon, not a sprint, but we are committed,” he said.
Akpata stressed that KCOB’s intervention was not designed to generate profit. Instead, he said the association wanted to restore King’s College to the standard envisaged by its founders.
“There is no profit motive here; it is all altruistic. We want to look after our mother,” he said.
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