Workers of the Federal Ministry of Education on Wednesday morning, September 16, 2026, blocked the entrance to the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, preventing Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa and Acting Permanent Secretary Dr Folake Olatunji-David from accessing their offices.
A video circulating on social media platform X captured the scene as a motorcade believed to be conveying the minister arrived at the premises.
Protesters gathered at the gate, chanting “Alausa must go” and “We say no to concession of King’s College. King’s College is not for sale,” while physically obstructing entry.
The action forms part of an ongoing industrial dispute between ministry staff and the Federal Government over the proposed 35-year concession of King’s College, Lagos, to its old boys’ association.
Unions, including the Joint Workers Union (comprising the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and others), have opposed the arrangement, arguing that it amounts to privatisation of a public institution and threatens the future of Nigeria’s Federal Unity Colleges.
Workers have also cited broader grievances, including alleged neglect of staff welfare, the minister’s reported refusal to meet union leaders for discussions, and concerns over outsourcing of ministry activities. The unions have previously demanded Alausa’s removal and threatened indefinite closure of the ministry headquarters and all 115 Federal Unity Colleges if their demands are not met.
The protest escalated earlier in the week. On Thursday, September 11, workers shut down the ministry headquarters and threatened nationwide school closures. By mid-week, Unity Colleges across the country faced disruptions as staff enforced a “no resumption” directive for the new academic term, turning back students and parents at several locations.
Meetings between the minister, the Trade Union Congress, and other stakeholders on Monday and subsequent days failed to fully resolve the impasse, with some union factions rejecting outcomes as incomplete.
Alausa has maintained that the government remains open to dialogue while insisting protests must remain within the law. In related comments, he has indicated the concession process would proceed and accused some ministry directors of instigating staff against the policy. The Federal Government has previously directed schools to resume academic activities following engagements with labour leaders.
As of Wednesday evening, tensions at the ministry headquarters remained high, with workers continuing to press for a full reversal of the King’s College concession and resolution of outstanding welfare issues. The development highlights deepening friction over education policy, public school management, and industrial relations within the sector.
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