FUT Minna Presents Evidence of Ownership as FG Intervenes in Bosso Campus Dispute

A high-level meeting involving the management of Federal University of Technology Minna (FUT Minna), officials of the Niger State Government, and the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, was held in Abuja to address the ongoing dispute surrounding the university’s Bosso campus.

The meeting, which began around 5:30 p.m. at the minister’s conference room, brought together the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Technology Minna, Faruk Adamu Kuta, alongside principal officers of the institution, representatives of staff unions, and members of the alumni association.

The delegation was received by the Minister as part of the Federal Government’s effort to mediate the disagreement between the university and the state authorities.

During the meeting, the Vice-Chancellor was invited to speak first and requested permission to present a nine-minute documentary highlighting activities currently taking place at the Bosso campus. The footage, reportedly recorded earlier in the day, showed ongoing academic and administrative operations within the facility.

University representatives explained that the presentation was meant to counter claims that the Bosso campus had remained unused for about 15 years. According to the institution, the campus has continued to serve important academic and operational functions over the years.

The Vice-Chancellor also presented documentary evidence, including payment vouchers and receipts, indicating that the university paid ₦2.8 million in two instalments for the outright purchase of the former Government Teachers College in Minna, which served as the take-off site of the university when it was established in 1983.

However, representatives of the Niger State Government were reportedly unable to provide documentation supporting claims that the land had been leased to the university for 40 years—an assertion earlier referenced by the state governor, Umaru Bago, in public discussions about the campus.

During his remarks at the meeting, the governor reportedly maintained that the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) presented by the university had expired and warned that the state government could revoke the land title. He also suggested that the state possessed the authority to take actions affecting infrastructure connected to the institution.

Observers present at the meeting noted that the discussion gradually shifted from earlier concerns about a possible takeover of the Bosso campus to proposals for collaboration between the state government and the university.

One of the proposals focused on the possibility of sharing some facilities at the Bosso campus to support the academic activities of medical students from Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBUL), who require infrastructure for their clinical training.

When asked by the governor whether the university could agree to the arrangement, the Vice-Chancellor explained that such a decision falls within the authority of the institution’s governing structures and cannot be taken unilaterally.

At the end of the meeting, the Minister of Education directed the Governing Council of Federal University of Technology Minna to engage with representatives of the Niger State Government to explore possible facility-sharing arrangements that would allow the affected medical students to continue their academic programme.

The minister emphasised that any agreement reached must be properly documented and guided by established legal and administrative procedures to safeguard the interests of all parties involved.

Following the meeting, members of the university’s alumni association reaffirmed their support for the management of Federal University of Technology Minna and expressed appreciation to stakeholders who have shown solidarity during the ongoing discussions.

The development is expected to lead to further consultations among the university authorities, the Niger State Government, and the Federal Ministry of Education as efforts continue to reach a mutually acceptable resolution on the Bosso campus matter.

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