Federal Unity Colleges in some parts of the country were yesterday shut by teachers’ unions over the concession of King’s College, Lagos and other colleges across the country.

Parents and pupils of some Unity Colleges were left stranded as members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) shut the gates of the colleges in defiance of the Federal Government’s directive for schools to reopen for the academic session.

The ASCSN had directed workers in Unity Colleges across the country not to resume duties yesterday over the planned concession.

The association, an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, announced the directive in a communiqué issued at the end of an emergency virtual meeting of its zonal coordinators held on Thursday.

The ASCSN and the Joint Congress of Unions of the Federal Ministry of Education vowed to sustain their total boycott of resumption across the 115 Federal Unity Colleges in the country.

The meeting was convened in response to the alleged unilateral decision of the Federal Ministry of Education to transfer King’s College, Lagos, to the school’s Old Boys Association without involving other stakeholders.

The association described the move as an “assault and an affront” to the unity of Nigeria, arguing that the Unity Colleges were established to provide a model of secondary education where children from different backgrounds could interact, learn tolerance and promote national cohesion.

The Federal Ministry of Education had, in a circular dated September 11 and signed by the Director, Senior Secondary Education Department, Adeniji Ibrahim, directed principals of Federal Unity Colleges to comply with the minister’s order for schools to reopen.

The ministry described the communiqué suspending resumption as “illegal, unauthorised” and directed principals to disregard it.

It ordered that college gates, hostels, classrooms and administrative blocks be opened yesterday to receive returning students, with full academic activities commencing today.

It also directed all academic and non-academic staff to report for duty and instructed principals to liaise with the police and Department of State Services (DSS) to ensure security at the colleges.

But most of the colleges earlier scheduled to resume yesterday were under lock and key when reporters visited the institutions.

Some of the schools had notices pasted on their gates, indicating that academic activities would not resume as earlier scheduled.

Parents and students of the Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Ezzamgbo, Ebonyi State, were left stranded as members of the ASCSN shut the gates in defiance of the Federal Government’s directive for schools to reopen for the academic session.

The unions’ directive was enforced yesterday, leaving parents and returning pupils who had travelled to the school unable to gain access to the premises.

A notice signed by the Unit Chairman of ASCSN, Dr Rachael Benson-Ogbu, stated: “No resumption till further notice.”

It urged parents to “remain calm, keep your wards with you at home and avoid making unnecessary trips to the school on Sunday, 13th September 2026, pending further clarification and official directives”.

One of the affected parents, Mr Obinna Uchendu, said the contradictory directives had left parents uncertain about what to do.

At the Federal Government Boys’ College, Apo, Abuja, the school premises were deserted, with no teachers available to receive students.

Speaking in an interview, the Chairperson of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Federal Government Boys’ College, Apo, Mrs Amina Abdullahi, confirmed that the school did not open as scheduled.

Abdullahi said the development was in compliance with the directive of the teachers’ union.

She added that the school was also awaiting further directives from the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) on the matter.

Also, many parents who took their children and wards to the Federal Technical College, Uromi, and the Federal Government Girls’ College, Benin, were not allowed to enter the school premises.

Both colleges were placed under lock and key despite the deployment of security agencies to the schools.

Some parents who had already booked transportation to convey their children from Benin City to the FTC, Uromi, cancelled the trip.

One of the parents said they were not sure if the school would be opened as assured by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa.

The presence of security personnel did not deter the protesting staff from locking the school entrance.

Members of the ASCSN at the FGGC, Benin, carried placards with various inscriptions, vowing not to relent until the Federal Government rescinded its decision on the concession of King’s College, Lagos.

Meanwhile, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Audu Amba, backed the suspension of resumption in Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.

Amba urged the Federal Government to suspend the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos, and consult relevant stakeholders on the policy.

He said the leadership of the union’s Federal Wing would meet today to deliberate on the development and determine the next line of action.

Amba described the situation as avoidable, saying all stakeholders ought to have been consulted before the government took such a decision.

He said teachers, who were central to the running of schools, should have been carried along before the proposed concession was introduced.