The decision by the Niger State Government to reclaim the Bosso Campus of the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT Minna) has ignited considerable controversy.
This dispute, which reportedly originated in 2025, gained widespread attention following a protest by faculty and students that took place last Monday.
In a letter dated October 3, 2025, Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago asserted that the campus, a former missionary institution, was officially handed over to the state government before being leased to FUT Minna in 1980.
A subsequent letter, dated November 27, 2025, and signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, instructed the university to vacate the campus by December 1, 2025, to prevent "any unpleasant development."
In response to perceived threats from the government, both faculty and students organized a protest last week, claiming that the campus had been acquired outright and not merely leased. They demanded that the state government retract its decision.
Governor Bago remains firm in his stance that the state possesses both the Certificate of Occupancy and legal ownership of the Bosso Campus. He stated in an interview with TVC that the campus will be repurposed for medical students enrolled at the state-run Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBB University) in Lapai.
"It is regrettable that the Vice-Chancellor has lowered himself to address the issue of protests. The Bosso Campus is owned by the Niger State Government. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida requested support from the state government during the establishment of his university in 1985, which was made possible through a 30-year lease," said Bago.
Bago continued, explaining that the campus was leased temporarily to FUT Minna, which has not fully utilized the facility aside from operating a staff school. The state government plans to gradually transition the campus to cater to medical students.
"We aim to allow our medical students access to the laboratories, hostels, and lecture halls. There are no active programs at the campus, and several laboratories are deteriorating due to termite damage. Why should selfishness prevail?" he added.
The governor clarified that there are no plans for forced evictions and emphasized that discussions with the university officials have been amicable. He also mentioned that the Federal Minister of Education has been informed and advised the state to proceed with its plans.
"The Certificate of Occupancy belongs to us. The land is our property. Even if FUT has made developments, the agreement stipulated a development period of 30 years, which has now elapsed. We are merely requesting shared use," stated Bago.
This initiative by the governor reportedly arises from worries that the first cohort of 300-level medical students at IBB University may not be able to continue their education due to the lack of a teaching hospital available for clinical training.
In a counterstatement, FUT Minna asserted that the Bosso Campus is permanently owned by the university, as communicated in a circular signed by Registrar Danladi Mallam.
"Recent communications from the Niger State Government asserting its intention to take control of the Bosso Campus, claiming it was leased while the university has moved to its Gidan Kwano site, do not align with the historical and legal facts regarding the property," the circular noted.
The university maintained that the campus contains essential departments, including the School of Science and Technology, the Centre for Disaster Risk Management and Development Studies, among others, and is still actively operational.
Minutes from a council meeting held on September 27, 1983, confirmed that the pioneer vice-chancellor updated council members on the acquisition of the past Teachers’ College from the Niger State Government, alongside compesation paid.
"The Bosso campus is legally and permanently assigned to the Federal Government for the use of the university. The Niger State Government lacks the legal basis to reclaim or take over the campus. Any attempt to do so contradicts substantial legal, historical, and documented evidence," the statement asserted.
Lydia Legbo, FUT Minna’s Head of Information and Public Relations, reiterated that the campus's acquisition is permanent and that claims of any lease agreement are fundamentally incorrect.
She elaborated that the state was compensated during the transfer of ownership. The university emphasized that there is no documentation indicating any form of leasing, tenancy, or temporary transfer involving the property.
FUT Minna also cited letters of approval from the Niger State Ministry of Lands, Surveys, and Town Planning issued in 2004, which allocated individual plots of land to the university after compensation was settled.
A report from the Presidential Visitation Panel spanning 1993–2003 confirmed that the Bosso campus had been permanently acquired from the previous Teachers’ College.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), North Central Zone, on Wednesday issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Niger State Government demanding the cessation of its plans to reclaim the Bosso Campus of FUT Minna.
During a press conference, North Central Coordinator of NANS, Hussaini Jamilu Ebbo, cautioned that failure to comply would lead to mobilization of students to blockade all major routes in the state.
Ebbo called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and urge the Niger State governor to reconsider actions that may disrupt the university’s academic activities.
He stressed that NANS will not permit the Niger State Government to hinder the students’ education and vowed to resist any attempts to seize the campus.
Likewise, the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of FUT Minna voiced concerns, noting that the proposed takeover, especially regarding hostel accommodations, has instilled fear among students staying in the dormitories.
The union urged the state authorities to refrain from any actions that might disrupt the peace of the students.
SUG President, Ezekiel Adaidu Machofo, further warned that the state government would be held entirely accountable for any adverse events affecting students resulting from its threats towards the institution.
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