The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja branch, has warned that the prolonged dispute over the institution’s land could threaten industrial peace, calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in its disagreement with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The union is demanding an end to the allocation of portions of the university’s land to private individuals and companies, insisting that the disputed property is required for the institution’s long-term academic and research development.
At a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the branch Chairman, Professor Sylvanus Ugoh, said the union would not guarantee industrial harmony if the minister failed to reverse the allocations.
The union’s position followed an emergency congress held on November 3 to deliberate on the land dispute.
Ugoh alleged that the FCT minister proceeded with the allocations despite an interlocutory injunction reportedly issued by the Maitama High Court on August 18, 2026, restraining him from entering or encroaching on the university’s land.
He said portions of the property were subsequently allocated to companies and individuals on September 26, describing the action as a disregard for the court process.
The disagreement dates back to June 30, 2025, when Wike announced plans to recover 7,000 hectares from the land reportedly allocated to the university. The minister had accused the institution of taking over and fencing land without the necessary approvals and documentation.
ASUU disputes that position, maintaining that the university received a formal allocation of 11,824 hectares from the Federal Government when it was established in 1988.
According to Ugoh, the land was provided to accommodate the university’s future expansion and was not intended to be limited to the areas currently occupied by buildings and other facilities.
He argued that the institution would require sufficient space for new academic facilities, research centres, innovation hubs and other infrastructure as its programmes and responsibilities expand.
The union also said parts of the land consist of hilly terrain that would require substantial resources to develop, while other areas serve environmental purposes, including the preservation of green spaces and ecological balance.
Ugoh maintained that the university’s land should not be treated as unused property simply because some sections have not yet been developed.
He further argued that the University of Abuja, as a Federal Government institution offering conventional and distance learning programmes, required adequate land to fulfil its academic mandate.
To support its position, the union cited the land areas occupied by other federal universities, including the University of Ilorin, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and the Federal University of Technology, Minna.
While acknowledging the FCT administration’s infrastructure development efforts, ASUU insisted that responsibility for the development of a federal university rested with the Federal Government.
The union called on Tinubu to direct Wike to halt further allocations and reverse those already made on the disputed property.
It warned that failure to resolve the matter could deepen tensions between the union and the FCT administration, with possible consequences for academic activities at the university.
