The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has vowed that the Federal Government will address the ongoing power crisis and poor infrastructure at King’s College, Lagos. Alausa made this promise on Thursday during an unscheduled early morning visit to the school, leaving both staff and students surprised by his presence.
During his tour of the school, the minister inspected classrooms, hostels, laboratories, and other facilities. He noted the worsening condition of the buildings and poor maintenance, which have made learning difficult for students.
One of the major concerns raised was the school’s prolonged blackout, which has lasted for about seven months. The Vice Principal, Shittu Y.S., explained that the electricity supply had been cut off due to an outstanding debt of over N70 million, which the school has struggled to pay.
“The light has been removed for the past eight months,” Shittu told the minister.
Walking through the dark hostel rooms, Alausa saw firsthand the challenges students faced. Many students later shared their frustrations about the extreme heat at night, which forces some to sleep in the corridors. They also spoke about mosquitoes, bedbugs, and the lack of water, making life in the hostel even more difficult.
“At night, there is heat, mosquitoes, and bed bugs,” one student said.
Another added, “Sometimes there is no water. Sometimes we sleep in the corridor because there is heat in the room.”
The minister addressed students and staff after his inspection, assuring them that the government would intervene quickly.
“I came in at 7:30 am; it was an unannounced visit; I wanted to see things the way they are. I’ve been around, to your classes, I went to your Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Technical Drawing laboratories. I went to your ICT centre and dining room.
“I must say that the state of the facilities I’ve seen here is not what we want children like you to experience. The facilities are quite dilapidated. I’m making a promise to you now as your Minister for Education when I get back to Abuja, I’ll quickly look into this.”
Alausa also noted that the Lagos State Independent Power Supply, which had previously served the school, was disconnected months ago, and efforts to switch to Eko Disco had been slow. He assured the students that he had already contacted the chairman of Eko Disco, who promised to reconnect the school to the national grid soon.
Despite the problems, the minister was satisfied with the quality of food given to students, as they confirmed its standard during his visit.
During a press interview, Alausa described the school environment as “extremely dirty” and noted that the buildings, though strong, had suffered from years of neglect.
“I have confronted the principal about this, and I know there is a huge infrastructural decay in the buildings that I saw. Those buildings were built decades ago, and the good thing is they are still standing strong, but they’re badly maintained.
“What we now need as a government is to move more resources to rehabilitate several of these buildings. This college is part of our good history; we can’t allow this level of decadence to persist. We will work as a government to ensure that we remedy a lot of the problems. We’ve actually started,” he said.
The school’s Principal, Mogaji Zechariah, who has only been in charge for about four weeks, admitted that he inherited many of the ongoing challenges.
“I don’t want to make excuses concerning the cleanliness, I take responsibility as the principal of the school. We are going to put all our hands on deck to ensure it’s not like this next time he comes,” he said.
On the electricity issue, Mogaji explained that the school is classified under Band A for electricity tariffs, leading to monthly bills between N8 million and N12 million, a cost the institution cannot afford. He mentioned that the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) had been supporting the school by providing diesel for generators.
He urged the ministry to assist in recruiting more teachers and increasing funds for school maintenance, as current resources are not enough.
King’s College, established in 1909, is one of Nigeria’s most prestigious secondary schools, known for producing notable figures. However, many believe the school is struggling to maintain its past glory due to poor funding and infrastructure challenges.
