Precious Ugwuzor
Tensions rose at the weekend as hundreds of alumni of Federal Government Colleges, popularly known as Unity Schools, staged solidarity rallies in Kano, Lagos, and Abuja over the Federal Ministry of Education’s decision to concession more than 30 hectares of land belonging to Federal Government College (FGC) Kano to Pluck Global Services, a private company.
The protesters, operating under the umbrella of the Unity Schools Old Students’ Association (USOSA), described the move as a threat to the future of the school and vowed to resist it.
The rallies, which attracted representatives from more than 40 Unity Schools nationwide, followed a reconciliatory meeting with the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, which reportedly ended without resolution last week. According to alumni leaders, the Ministry insisted that the Public-Private Partnership arrangement with Pluck Global Services would proceed.
Speaking during the rally, some USOSA members said the meeting with the Minister began on a cordial note but became tense after government representatives maintained that the concession arrangement was irreversible.
“Entering that room, we believed we had a listening ear. We laid out our fears: that this is not just about land, but about the soul of our Unity Schools,” John Duru told the crowd. “We left with the clear understanding that the Minister is determined to proceed. Therefore, this walk is a declaration that we will not be silent while our children’s heritage is auctioned off.”
Sources within the alumni body said the Ministry defended the concession as part of a broader infrastructure revitalisation programme. However, USOSA leaders argued that there was no feasibility study to justify ceding a 30-hectare portion of land originally designated for sports facilities, agricultural science projects, and future expansion.
Carrying placards bearing inscriptions such as “FGC Kano is Not for Sale,” “Revoke the Concession, Save Our Schools,” and “Hands Off Our Heritage,” the protesters marched through major locations in Lagos, Abuja, and Kano amid heavy security presence and growing public attention.
An emotional moment unfolded when current students of FGC Kano gathered by the school fence to wave at the alumni during the procession. Retired General Abdulrasheed Lawal of the 1983 set of FGC Kaduna, who led the march, said the students symbolised generations of Nigerians who stood to lose valuable recreational and educational space if the concession goes ahead.
“Pluck Global Services has not explained whether this will be a hotel, a shopping complex, or an office park. We don’t care. What we know is that a federal school sits here,” Lawal said.
The protesters demanded the immediate and unconditional cancellation of the concession agreement, warning that they could shut down Unity School gates nationwide if the Ministry failed to revoke the deal within 14 days.
USOSA leaders stressed that the Unity Schools system was established to promote national integration by bringing together children from different parts of the country under one educational system.
“We have representatives from Federal Government College Ido Ani, Federal Government College Odogbolu, Okigwe, Port Harcourt, Ikot Ekpene, Queens College Lagos, and 37 others standing here today. This is a united front,” said Humphrey Nwafor, National Chapter President, Lagos. “We are not enemies of development, but this development must not choke the school. Cancel the deal.”
As of press time, the Federal Ministry of Education had not released an official statement on the rallies. However, a senior official, who spoke anonymously, said the Ministry remained committed to modernising Unity Schools through private-sector investment and insisted that “no concrete structure will be built on the students’ play fields.”
USOSA leaders rejected the assurance, describing it as “semantic trickery” and arguing that the proposed concession covered almost the entire undeveloped portion of the school’s land.
In a message of appreciation, the Global President of FGC Kano, Shoyinka Shodunke, thanked participating Unity Schools for standing in solidarity with the college.
The alumni also vowed to take their campaign to the National Assembly and the Presidency, insisting that the struggle to protect the land and legacy of Unity Schools was far from over.