The controversy surrounding the revocation of a large portion of the University of Abuja’s land allocation continues to stir public debate. Nigerian medical doctor and public affairs commentator, Dr Toks, has weighed in, raising serious questions about land use and institutional priorities.
Speaking on the development, Dr Toks, known for his commentary on healthcare, education and politics, argued that the university’s extensive land holdings are excessive and largely underutilised.
“Harvard University, across its five campuses, occupies approximately 2,000 hectares of land, including its research forests. Oxford is similar. Here in Nigeria, the University of Lagos operates on just 325 hectares. The University of Ibadan and the University of Benin each have less than 2,000 hectares, while FUTO manages around 4,000 hectares,” he said.
“So, what exactly is a university doing with 11,000 hectares of land? After 37 years of existence, the University of Abuja has reportedly developed less than 10 per cent of its allocation. Even the University of Ilorin, with 15,000 hectares since 1975, has only managed to utilise a small fraction. Obafemi Awolowo University, LASU, FUT Minna and FUNAAB each sit on between 10,000 and 13,000 hectares, yet the story is the same: underutilisation. Are universities meant to be land banks?”
Dr Toks also criticised the inability of many institutions to convert their vast land assets into productive ventures such as commercial agriculture. According to him, if these lands are not being actively used for academic or economic purposes, they should be returned to indigenous landowners or repurposed for national development.
His remarks come in the wake of a major policy action by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who on June 30, 2025, announced the recovery of 7,000 hectares of land in the Giri District previously held by the University of Abuja.
Wike accused the institution of land grabbing, stating that the university had fenced off 11,000 hectares without proper documentation. The minister subsequently directed that only 4,000 hectares remain under the university’s control, with the reclaimed area to be reallocated for infrastructure and development projects under the supervision of the FCT Administration.
“No documents, no approvals, just land fencing. That land belongs to the FCTA and, by extension, the people. We are recovering it for actual use,” Wike said during the road commissioning in Giri.
Meanwhile, the National Universities Commission (NUC) specifies land requirements for establishing universities in Nigeria. According to the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, a proposed university must have a minimum land area of 100 hectares. This land should be in a suitable location with access to essential services such as water, transportation and communication.
As the debate deepens, questions persist about the future of land management in Nigerian universities and whether the era of expansive but idle campus estates is drawing to a close.
