A major dispute has erupted between the Niger State Government and the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT Minna) following allegations that Governor Mohammed Umar Bago threatened to revoke the university’s Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for its Bosso Campus during a high-level meeting in Abuja.
The development was disclosed by the President of the FUT Minna Alumni Association, Shola Solomon, who revealed details of the meeting held at the conference room of the Minister of Education on Wednesday. The meeting brought together representatives of the Niger State Government, the management of FUT Minna, members of the university’s governing council, staff unions, and alumni leaders to discuss the growing dispute over the ownership and control of the Bosso Campus in Minna.
According to Solomon, tensions rose during the meeting when the Niger State governor reportedly insisted that the Certificate of Occupancy issued to the university had expired and could therefore be revoked by the state government. He further claimed that the governor allegedly warned that the revocation could be extended to the university’s main campus at Gidan Kwano and even threatened to cut off electricity supply to the institution if the dispute was not resolved in favour of the state.
The controversy centres on the Bosso Campus, which served as the take-off site of FUT Minna when the institution was established in 1983. University authorities maintain that the land housing the campus was purchased outright by the Federal Government from the Niger State Government decades ago.
During the Abuja meeting, officials of the university reportedly presented documents, including payment vouchers and receipts, showing that the Federal Government paid ₦2.8 million for the property at the time it was acquired. These documents, they argued, clearly demonstrate that the land belongs to the Federal Government and was not leased to the university.
However, representatives of the Niger State Government reportedly maintained that the land had been granted to the university under a 40-year lease agreement which they claim has now expired. The university community has rejected this claim, insisting that there was no lease arrangement and that the campus remains federal property.
At one point during the meeting, the governor was said to have claimed that the Bosso Campus had been abandoned for several years. In response, the Vice-Chancellor of FUT Minna reportedly presented a nine-minute video showing ongoing academic activities on the campus, including lectures and administrative work, to demonstrate that the facility is still fully operational.
The dispute has sparked concern across the university community, with staff unions, students and alumni warning that any attempt by the state government to take over the campus could disrupt academic activities and affect thousands of students and employees.
Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and student groups have already staged protests condemning what they described as an attempt to seize federal property. They argue that the Bosso Campus remains a critical part of the university’s infrastructure and continues to host several academic programmes and administrative offices.
Further escalating the matter, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has reportedly issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Niger State Government, demanding that it abandon any plan to take over the campus. Student leaders warned that failure to reverse the move could lead to nationwide protests.
Sources within the state government indicate that the interest in the Bosso Campus may be linked to plans to convert parts of the facility into infrastructure that could support medical training for students of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai. The proposal has been strongly opposed by members of the FUT Minna community, who insist that the property belongs to the Federal Government and cannot be repurposed by the state.
In response to the situation, the FUT Minna Alumni Association has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government to intervene urgently to prevent what they describe as a dangerous precedent. The alumni warned that allowing a state government to reclaim property purchased by the Federal Government could threaten the autonomy and security of federal universities across the country.
Founded in 1983, the Federal University of Technology, Minna is one of Nigeria’s leading institutions for science and technology education. The university operates two major campuses — the historic Bosso Campus in Minna and the larger Gidan Kwano Campus located several kilometres outside the city.
As the controversy continues to unfold, education stakeholders are closely watching developments, with many calling for a peaceful resolution that protects the interests of the university and preserves the integrity of federal educational institutions in Nigeria.
