The University of Abuja branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called for the immediate reversal of what it describes as the unlawful allocation of the university’s land by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
The union also urged President Bola Tinubu to caution Wike over the disputed land, stating that doing so would allow peace and harmony to prevail on the university campus.
Prof. Sylvanus Ugoh, Chairperson of the ASUU UniAbuja branch, made these demands during a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference was themed “Ministerial Encroachment into University of Abuja Land: Some Points to Ponder.”
Ugoh stated that the union would no longer guarantee industrial harmony if the minister failed to reverse the alleged allocation of the university’s land to his friends and cronies.
“The act of the FCT minister is an outright breach and total disregard for the rule of law.
“On Aug. 18, Justice F.E. Mesiri of the Maitama High Court granted interlocutory injunctions, including an order restraining the FCT Minister from entering or encroaching on university land.
“In spite of the court order, the FCT Minister went ahead on Sept. 26 to allocate the university land to companies and individuals,” he said.
Ugoh stated that on June 30, 2025, during the inauguration of an access road to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Institute in Giri, the minister announced the recovery of 7,000 hectares out of the 11,000 hectares allocated to the university.
He noted that the minister had accused the university of land grabbing and of fencing off several hectares without proper approval or documentation.
He said, “There is overwhelming documentary evidence showing that this parcel of land was allocated to the University of Abuja.”
He clarified that the University of Abuja was founded on January 1, 1988, with an initial allocation of 11,824 hectares to support its long-term academic and infrastructural growth.
According to him, the university authority could not have decided on its own where to locate the institution.
He stated that both the university and the land belonged to the federal government rather than the FCT.
Ugoh stated that the large landmass was intentionally set aside to create space for future expansion, research activities, academic facilities, and other institutional requirements.
He pointed out that the university, being a dual-mode institution that offers both conventional and distance learning programs, needed adequate land to carry out its mandate.
Ugoh mentioned that the land was also required for setting up research institutes, innovation centers, and other facilities that would support national development.
He further stated that parts of the land functioned as green areas for ecological balance, environmental conservation, and climate change mitigation.
“The development of the University of Abuja may seem very slow, but it is still the Federal Government that is responsible for the development of its university.
“We appreciate the zeal of the FCT Minister to develop the FCT, but the argument that the land has been left undeveloped for too long does not stand.
“Universities gradually realize their full potential. It is pertinent to mention that the 11,824 hectares of University of Abuja land is not in any way beyond a dual-mode university in the country’s capital.
“For instance, the University of Ilorin occupies 15,000 hectares, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, occupies 13,000 hectares, the Federal University of Technology, Minna, occupies 10,650 hectares, and the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, occupies 10,000 hectares,” he said.
He explained that of the 11,824 hectares occupied by the University of Abuja, roughly two hectares were hilly and would need substantial resources to develop.
He stated that the union would, within the bounds of the law, fully resist any attempt by the minister to unlawfully take away UniAbuja land.
NAN reports that the news conference came after an emergency congress of the union, held at the university on November 3 to discuss the land dispute.
In June 2025, Wike accused the university of land grabbing and noted that the institution had claimed 11,000 hectares of land, of which he had recovered 7,000.
