Uniabuja Pro-chancellor Says 11,000 Hectares Land Allocated To Institution Is Legacy Asset
By Pius Awunah
The Pro-chancellor of the University of Abuja now(Yakubu Gowon University),Senator Olanrewaju Tejuoso, has revealed that the 11,000 hectares of land allocated to the institution is a legacy asset given to the institution by the Federal Government.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time,monitored by our reporter on Thursday(July 17,2025),the Pro-chancellor said the land was allocated to the university by former President Ibrahim Babangida in 1988 because of his(Babangida)’s vision for the university of Abuja, as the flagship of universities in Nigeria.
He said in efforts to resolve the issue and have the university’s land back,the Minister of Education,Mr. Maruf Olufunke Alausa was in discussion with the FCT Minister,Mr.Nyesom Wike on the matter.
Senator Tejuoso said that 2,000 from the 4,000 hectares left for the institution by the FCT Minister was covered by mountainous terrain, limiting the university’s operating space.
The Pro-chancellor disclosed that the university is partnering with the Cancer Research Centre of Nigeria and that three other investors were also interested in doing business with the university,but without the land, the proposed investments were at jeopardy.
”We have three investors who want to partner with the university, but without the land, they will not invest because they need land space”,he said.
Senator Tejuoso, noted that the university’s vision to partner with investors can not be accomplished if its land mass is reduced and called on the FCT Minister to restore the slashed portion of land.
In slashing the land from 11,000 to 4,000 hectares, the FCT Minister,Mr.Nyesom Wike cited unauthorised land acquisition and lack of documentation.
Wike, who made the declaration recently at the official commissioning of the newly constructed access roads in the Giri District of Abuja,expressed concern over what he described as “land grabbing” by the university, accusing it of fencing off large swathes of land without proper approval or documentation
