Workers of the Federal Ministry of Education on Wednesday morning blocked the entrance to the ministry’s headquarters, preventing the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Acting Permanent Secretary, Dr. Folake Olatunji-David, from accessing their offices.

A video circulating on X captured the tense moment workers gathered at the main gates just as a motorcade conveying the minister arrived at the premises. The protesting staff stood their ground, blocking access while chanting, “Alausa must go.”

The demonstration marks a significant escalation in an ongoing dispute between the ministry’s workforce and the Federal Government. At the heart of the crisis is the controversial proposed 35-year concession of King’s College, Lagos, to its old boys’ association—a move the workers’ unions fiercely oppose. Beyond the concession dispute, the protesters are demanding the immediate removal of the minister, citing unresolved grievances over staff welfare and deep-seated administrative issues within the ministry.

This latest shutdown underscores the failure of recent engagements between management and union representatives to broker peace, leaving tensions high at the education headquarters.