𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗕𝗼𝘆𝘀 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗳 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴'𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝘁, 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 100𝗯𝗻

𝗕𝗬 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗔 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘,

𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗮, 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮.

The Federal Government has approved the concession of King's College, Lagos, to the King's College Old Boys' Association (KCOBA) in a move aimed at restoring, modernising and ensuring the long-term sustainability of one of Nigeria's oldest and most prestigious secondary schools.

The announcement was made on Monday during a press conference at the Metropolitan Club in Victoria Island, Lagos, where KCOBA President, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, described the approval as the beginning of the "King's College Renaissance."

He explained that the concession does not amount to the sale or privatisation of the institution but introduces a new governance framework that allows the alumni association to partner with the Federal Government in rebuilding and strengthening the school.

According to Ibrahim-Imam, King's College, established in 1909, has produced generations of distinguished Nigerians across public service, law, diplomacy, business, medicine, engineering and academia. However, he noted that years of deteriorating infrastructure and declining facilities have made major intervention necessary.

He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the initiative and praised the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, for supporting the project as part of ongoing reforms in the education sector.

Ibrahim-Imam assured Nigerians that the college would retain its federal character and continue admitting students from every part of the country regardless of ethnic, religious or socio-economic background.

Addressing concerns over affordability, he stated that the association has no intention of turning the school into an exclusive institution for wealthy families. Instead, KCOBA has established a ₦100 billion Collegium Fund to finance the institution's transformation without transferring the financial burden to parents.

The transformation blueprint focuses on seven key areas, including governance reforms, infrastructure renewal, teacher development, digital transformation, academic excellence, leadership development and the integration of the school's main campus and annexe into a unified educational system.

Planned upgrades include the rehabilitation of classrooms, laboratories, libraries, hostels, sports facilities, healthcare centres and sanitation systems, alongside environmentally sustainable campus development.

The association also plans to introduce artificial intelligence-assisted learning, robotics laboratories, digital libraries, broadband connectivity, coding programmes, innovation hubs, electronic administration and a comprehensive learning management system.

Ibrahim-Imam said the ultimate goal is to position King's College among the world's leading secondary schools through stronger STEM education, entrepreneurship, research, debating, music, sports and international partnerships.

To ensure effective governance, the King's College Education Trust (KCET) has been established to oversee the institution's long-term development. Elder statesman and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Alhaji Femi Okunnu, will serve as President of King's College Lagos and Chairman of the KCET Board of Trustees, while businessman Sunny Kuku will serve as Vice President of the college and Vice Chairman of the trust.

The ₦100 billion fund will be chaired by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, with businessman Atedo Peterside serving as Vice Chairman. Former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki is also among the prominent figures supporting the initiative.

Demonstrating his personal commitment, Ibrahim-Imam announced a donation of ₦1 billion on behalf of himself, his family and friends. Former KCOBA Board of Trustees Chairman Chief Philip Asiodu and current Chairman Alhaji Femi Okunnu also pledged ₦100 million each toward the project.

The KCOBA President called on alumni across the world, corporate organisations, foundations and development partners to support the initiative through financial contributions, mentorship and voluntary professional services.

He expressed confidence that the collaborative effort would restore King's College to its position as a centre of academic excellence and leadership development for future generations of Nigerians.