The Federal Government College Kano Old Students Association (FGCKOSA) has publicly rejected a proposal to grant a private entity usage of 30 hectares of the school's grounds for real estate development under a public-private partnership.
This opposition emerged during an event where the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, officiated the groundbreaking ceremony for 18 new infrastructure projects and the renovation of 14 existing facilities at the 53-year-old college. These developments are slated to be executed via a Public Private Partnership Land Swap arrangement with Pluck Global Company.
However, in a statement released following their meeting on Monday, the National President of FGKOSA, Shoyinka Shodunke, stated that the proposed concession represents a degradation of a significant national educational asset. He emphasized that Unity Schools were conceived as pillars of academic excellence, national unity, and development, and any action that compromises their standing signals a worrying indifference to education's role in national advancement.
Shodunke highlighted the peculiar concern that while global trends favour the expansion of educational facilities, Nigeria appears to be divesting its existing learning infrastructure. He pointed out that the association's members have consistently contributed substantial financial resources and investments towards enhancing the college's infrastructure and academic programmes, without requesting any portion of the school's land.
Furthermore, he mentioned that FGCKOSA has established a foundation aimed at ensuring the institution's long-term sustainability, with plans for a ₦5 billion fundraising drive scheduled for its official launch in June 2026.
The alumni group contends that the concession plan is essentially a commercial real estate undertaking that redirects land designated for educational purposes into private commercial use.
FGCKOSA also raised questions regarding the selection of Federal Government College Kano's land for this project, noting the availability of other land parcels within the state suitable for real estate ventures.
The association has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to halt the proposed concession, protect the integrity of Unity Schools across the country, and safeguard the future of Nigeria's educational sector.
Reports from Daily Trust indicate that the landswap agreement stipulates that the private company will deliver 18 key infrastructure and asset projects, including student hostels, a corps members' lodge, three-bedroom flats, a skills acquisition centre, and a clinic, valued at eight billion Naira, in exchange for the 30 hectares of college land.
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