The Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Abuja branch, has threatened to withdraw its commitment to maintaining industrial harmony at the institution following allegations that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, allocated portions of the university’s land to private individuals and organisations.
The union is demanding an immediate cancellation of the disputed allocations, alleging that the minister acted in defiance of an existing court order restraining him from interfering with the institution’s property. It also urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the matter and caution Wike against further actions capable of disrupting the university’s operations.
ASUU warned that its tolerance of the situation was wearing thin, stressing that continued encroachment on the university’s property could result in an industrial dispute. The union’s branch chairperson, Professor Sylvanus Ugoh, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press conference in Abuja, organised under the theme, “Ministerial Encroachment into University of Abuja Land: Some Points to Ponder.”
Ugoh said the union could no longer assure the university community of sustained industrial peace if the FCT minister failed to reverse what it described as the unlawful transfer of portions of the institution’s land to private companies and individuals. He maintained that the alleged action constituted a disregard for the rule of law, particularly in view of a subsisting judicial order concerning the disputed property.
The ASUU chairman explained that Justice F.E. Mesiri of the Maitama High Court, on August 18, issued an interlocutory injunction restraining Wike from entering or encroaching on the university’s land. However, the union alleged that the minister disregarded the directive and proceeded with the controversial allocations on September 26.
“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 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.
The union argued that the disagreement goes beyond the quantity of land available to the institution, describing the matter as one involving ownership rights, legal authority and the university’s capacity to execute its long-term development objectives.
Ugoh recalled that Wike had, on June 30, 2025, announced plans to reclaim 7,000 hectares out of the 11,000 hectares reportedly allocated to the University of Abuja. The minister made the declaration during the inauguration of an access road leading to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Institute in Giri, Abuja.
During the event, Wike reportedly accused the institution of occupying an excessive expanse of land and developing or fencing certain portions without obtaining the required approvals and documentation. ASUU, however, dismissed the allegations, insisting that the Federal Government lawfully allocated the property to the university.
“There is overwhelming documentary evidence showing that this parcel of land was allocated to the University of Abuja,” he said.
According to the union, the university was established on January 1, 1988, with an initial land allocation of 11,824 hectares intended to provide sufficient room for its long-term growth. Ugoh stressed that the institution neither independently chose its location nor determined the size of the property, explaining that both decisions were made by the Federal Government, which owns the university.
He also faulted suggestions that the university’s inability to develop the entire land within a relatively short period should provide grounds for its recovery by the FCT administration. He explained that the land was earmarked to support future expansion, including the construction of lecture halls, student hostels, administrative buildings, research centres and other essential academic infrastructure.
The ASUU chairman further explained that the university’s dual-mode educational structure, which accommodates both conventional academic programmes and distance learning, requires considerable space to support its various academic activities. He identified research institutes, innovation hubs and specialised learning facilities as additional projects that could be established as the institution expands.
Beyond academic and administrative development, Ugoh noted that certain sections of the allocated property serve important environmental functions. He explained that these areas provide green spaces necessary for maintaining ecological balance, protecting the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change.
While acknowledging that the university’s infrastructural development might appear slower than anticipated, he maintained that the Federal Government bears responsibility for financing and developing federal institutions. He argued that the pace of development should not be used as justification for taking away land originally allocated to the university.
“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 realise 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, University of Ilorin occupies 15,000 hectares, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, occupies 13,000 hectares, Federal University of Technology, Minna, occupies 10,650 hectares and Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, occupies 10,000 hectares,” he said.
To reinforce its position, the union referenced the land allocations of other federal universities, arguing that the University of Abuja’s property was not unusually large when measured against the land requirements of comparable institutions nationwide.
ASUU also maintained that geographical and financial considerations had limited the immediate development of some sections of the university’s property. Ugoh disclosed that approximately two hectares of the land were hilly and would require significant financial investment before they could be converted for institutional purposes.
He insisted that retaining ownership and control of the entire allocated property was essential to the university’s ability to implement its expansion plans and fulfil its academic mandate.
The union consequently vowed to pursue all legitimate means of preventing what it considers an unlawful takeover of the institution’s property. It warned that it would not remain passive if the disputed allocations continued, adding that the situation could undermine the existing industrial relationship between university employees and the authorities.
Reaffirming the union’s position, Ugoh declared that ASUU was prepared to challenge any further attempt to deprive the institution of its property through lawful means.
“We will, within the ambit of the law, resist in totality any attempt by the minister to unlawfully take away UniAbuja land,” Ugoh said.
