Nigeria’s Unity Schools Remain Shut as Strike Keeps Students at Home
Thousands of students in Nigeria are yet to know when classes will resume in most of the 117 Federal Unity Colleges which were expected to open for the 2026/2027 academic session seven days ago.
The disruption comes as part of a continuing feud between the Federal Government and a section of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) over the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos.
The Shehu Mohammed-led group has instructed its members to keep their strike going until the government responds to their concerns, which include a call for more stakeholders to be involved and access to documents on the proposed concession.
The Federal Ministry of Education ordered students to resume school from September 20, but some Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) have urged parents to keep their children at home until the controversy is resolved.
The PTA representatives in the schools such as Federal Government College, Rubochi, Federal Government Girls’ College, Abaji, Federal Government College, Ijanikin and others said that sending students back without enough teachers may leave them without lessons and proper supervision.
However, the ministry has called on parents to make sure that their children return, noting that the 2026/2027 academic session has begun.
It also cautioned parents against obeying instructions from an organisation it said is not officially recognised, the National PTA of Federal Unity Colleges.
Meanwhile, opposition to the proposed concession for King’s College is building. The plan is being challenged by Education Rights Campaign and the PTA Chairmen Forum of Federal Unity Colleges, which fear that private management might put additional strain on families’ finances.
Students are still in a limbo between the government’s resumption order and the ongoing industrial action, as there are conflicting instructions.
