Suleja stakeholders protest alleged plan to convert university land to market

Stakeholders, including community leaders, students’ union members, and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) members, staged a protest in Suleja, Niger State, on Wednesday over an alleged plan to convert land designated for Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) University into a market. The demonstrators, led by the Suleja Development Association (SUDA), gathered at the site of the university’s Suleja campus, holding placards and urging the state governor, Umar Mohammed Bago, to reverse the supposed decision.

Prof. Sulaiman Dangana Abdul, speaking on behalf of the protesters, stated that the entire Suleja Emirate opposed the plan purportedly driven by the state government to transfer the Field Base land for market construction. The Field Base, previously utilized as an operational base during the establishment of Abuja as the new Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was transferred to Niger State Government in 2007 as a token of appreciation from the Suleja community for the cession of significant land for FCT development.

Abdul emphasized that the allocation of the property to IBB University expanded educational opportunities for the community, aligning with the people's expectations for the land's use. Another stakeholder, TP Umar Shuaibu, a town planner, highlighted that the Suleja Emirate already possessed multiple markets, some of which were underutilized.

He listed the Suleja International Market at Rafin-Sanyi, Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim Market near Maje, and another market currently under construction in Madalla. Shuaibu implored the state government to prioritize providing the university with the essential infrastructure it needed rather than allegedly allocating its land to a private market developer.

He pointed out that Suleja Emirate was the sole urban center in Niger State lacking a tertiary institution and noted that the university had already begun offering certain courses and programs. The protesters reported several unsuccessful attempts to secure a meeting with the governor for constructive dialogue, expressing shock upon learning of a statement purportedly released by the state government indicating the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the property's transfer to a private entity for market development.

Following the protest, the stakeholders issued a two-week ultimatum to the state government to reverse the alleged decision, threatening legal action if their demands were not met.