Alumni reject minister’s plea over controversial concessioning at FGC Kano

BY AJIBADE ALABI

A protracted meeting between the Federal Ministry of Education and old students’ associations ended in a stalemate on Thursday, as the President of the FGC Kano Old Students Association (FGCKOSA) flatly rejected the Minister’s plea to suspend planned protests and legal action over a controversial land concession deal.

The high-tension session, which lasted over four hours on May 7, 2026, brought together the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Morufu Olatunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, and the leadership of the Unity Schools Old Students Association (USOSA) alongside FGCKOSA.

While the Ministry sought to de-escalate the growing crisis, the alumni dug in their heels, insisting that the proposed land swap and concession arrangement at Federal Government College Kano represents an existential threat to the institution.

“We Will Not Be Silenced” – FGCKOSA President

In a dramatic turn during the meeting, the National President of FGCKOSA, Shoyinka Shodunke, told the Ministers in clear terms that the association’s planned awareness rally for May 9, 2026, would proceed as scheduled. He also confirmed that the legal action already filed by the alumni would not be withdrawn.

“The process has excluded us from the beginning. We have lost confidence in this concession plan,” Shodunke stated. “The awareness rally will hold, and our litigation continues. We are matching the commercial enterprise’s proposal dollar-for-dollar to preserve our land, but we will not be intimidated into silence.”

Shodunke formally reiterated the alumni’s offer to match the reported infrastructure proposal from the commercial bidder, insisting that school land must be preserved for future generations of students.

USOSA Demands Suspension, Backs Kano Alumni

USOSA, led by President General Michael Magaji, backed FGCKOSA’s hardline position, raising strong concerns over the commercialization of Unity School assets, lack of stakeholder consultation, and threats to the legacy and security of the schools.

USOSA demanded the immediate and unconditional suspension of the concession plan, emphasizing that alumni associations have independently delivered projects worth hundreds of millions of naira across Unity Schools without selling off an inch of school land.

Minister Acknowledges Concerns but Appeals for Calm

In response, Dr. Alausa acknowledged the developmental role USOSA has played in bridging infrastructure gaps caused by low funding over the past 20 years. He thanked the alumni for their contributions but maintained his support for the concession as part of the Ministry’s infrastructure renewal strategy.

The Minister appealed directly to FGCKOSA to call off the May 9 rally and withdraw the lawsuit, warning that confrontation could harm the very institutions the alumni seek to protect. He promised to work with USOSA on future Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives, starting with Kings College, Lagos, where alumni have expressed interest in taking over management. That proposal is expected to be submitted to the Federal Executive Council in the coming weeks.

The Minister also handed USOSA a copy of the Ministry’s PPP guidelines, inviting them to develop a value proposition for PPP opportunities across Unity Schools nationwide.

No Resolution in Sight

Despite the Minister’s outreach, the meeting ended inconclusively, with both sides unwilling to yield on the core issue of FGC Kano’s land. USOSA and FGCKOSA have pledged to continue constructive engagement with the Ministry in principle, but with the rally and legal action still firmly on the table, tensions remain dangerously high.

As the May 9 deadline approaches, all eyes are now on Kano to see whether the government will act to stop the rally or allow the dispute to spill into the streets and the courts.