The King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA) on Wednesday gained access to the school premises, despite resistance from some parents and unions, in a development that signals progress towards the proposed concession arrangement between the Federal Government and the association.

The development came amid concerns among parents, teachers and unions over the proposed management arrangement, with the Federal Government repeatedly insisting that it has no intention of transferring ownership of the unity school to the Old Boys Association.

Rather, the government has said the concession is intended to allow the association to manage and fund the institution, which has suffered years of infrastructural deterioration.

Addressing journalists yesterday after gaining access to the school premises, where police operatives were still stationed at the entrance to prevent a recurrence of Tuesday’s incident, President of KCOBA, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, said the association’s push for a greater role in managing the school began about 30 years ago.

He said the move was prompted by concerns over the declining quality of facilities and standards at the institution, stressing that it was not financially motivated but driven by a desire to prevent further deterioration and eventual collapse of the school.

Ibrahim-Imam lamented that the Federal Government’s annual allocation of about N2.5 billion to the school, alongside approximately N2 billion in interventions by the Old Boys Association, had not translated into commensurate improvements in the institution’s infrastructure and general condition.

He assured parents and other stakeholders that the proposed management arrangement would not disrupt the existing protocols governing the school.

He also sought to allay fears that the concession would lead to higher tuition fees, saying the association had received strong financial support from its members, with several old students contributing substantially to the N100 billion endowment fund established to support the school.

“We are not introducing fees that will chase away the children of the poor. We want to create equal opportunities,” he said.

Ibrahim-Imam said the concession agreement would run for 50 years, subject to renewal based on the fulfilment of stipulated conditions.

He further assured stakeholders that the diversity that has historically characterised King’s College would be preserved, noting that students from different parts of the country and socio-economic backgrounds had traditionally attended the institution.

While urging the public to understand the rationale behind the association’s intervention, he called for greater transparency and accountability in the management of the institution.

He said the proposed arrangement should be subjected to public scrutiny, alongside the school’s existing financial and administrative practices.

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and alumnus of the college, Olumide Akpata, appealed to parents, teachers and unions to engage with the Old Boys Association rather than rely on rumours about the arrangement.

Akpata cited Government College, Ibadan, and Government College, Umuahia, as examples of schools where old boys’ associations had become involved in management without taking ownership of the institutions.

According to him, interventions by old boys at the two institutions had contributed to improvements in their facilities and learning environments.

He, however, criticised the poor maintenance culture at King’s College, saying it had undermined more than 30 years of investments by the Old Boys Association, with little evidence of the impact of some of those interventions visible today.

Also speaking, Chairman of the 2026 Kingsweek Planning Committee, Gbolahan Olayomi, said the association was committed to transforming the institution into a world-class learning environment through major investments in infrastructure, technology and teacher development.

He said the planned innovations would include the digital transformation of the college in preparation for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) digital examinations scheduled to commence in 2027.

“We are going to transform this college and, in a short period of time, infrastructurally and otherwise, turn this college into a world-class learning environment,” he said.