Kano Library Complex Transfer Will Boost Higher Education — NWU

The decision by the Kano State Government to transfer the Murtala Muhammad Library Complex to Northwest University Kano (NWUK) should be seen as part of efforts to expand access to higher education and address the growing infrastructure needs of the state’s university system.

The university said the transfer, approved by the Kano State Government in September 2025, has already enabled it to integrate the facility into its academic activities. The complex currently houses the Institute of Continuing Education and is used for lectures under the university’s IJMB and Part-Time Degree programmes.

According to the university, lectures for newly admitted IJMB students for the 2026/2027 academic session began at the Murtala Muhammad Library Campus on August 31, 2026.

The university said its growing student population and expanding academic programmes have created an increasing demand for lecture halls, classrooms, offices, research facilities, laboratories and other essential infrastructure.

It argued that the complex could be renovated and converted into a modern academic campus equipped with digital learning facilities, lecture spaces, research areas, offices and student services.

“Libraries have evolved considerably,” the university said, noting that modern academic libraries now rely heavily on digital databases, electronic journals, e-books, online repositories and virtual library services.

The debate over the facility gained further attention following a recent visit by the Kano State House of Assembly Committee on Higher Education to the university’s Institute of Continuing Education at the complex.

The committee chairman, Hon. Dr. Ali Lawan Alhassan Kiyawa, reportedly expressed concern about the learning conditions and pledged that the committee would work towards creating a more conducive environment for students and staff.

The committee also observed that academic activities were taking place alongside political gatherings and other social activities at the complex.

The Director of the Institute of Continuing Education, Dr. Lawan Idris, reportedly raised concerns about inadequate office space, insufficient water supply and disruptions caused by non-academic activities. He appealed for the facility to be dedicated to academic purposes.

The university said the situation highlights the need for a clear and sustainable arrangement that allows the complex to function primarily as an academic environment.

It also maintained that the transfer should not be viewed as an attempt to diminish the importance of the library or the Library Board. Instead, it proposed that the Library Board and other occupants be provided with suitable alternative locations where they can continue their legitimate activities.

The university urged the Kano State House of Assembly to support the implementation of the state government’s decision and called on the government to renovate and upgrade the complex for academic use.

It said such renovation should include adequate lecture spaces, offices, electricity, water supply, digital infrastructure, research facilities and student services.

According to the university, the issue should ultimately be considered from the perspective of Kano’s growing demand for higher education rather than as a contest between institutions.

“The objective should not be to erase the historical significance of the Murtala Muhammad Library,” the university said, but to ensure that the facility continues to contribute to the state’s intellectual development while responding to present and future educational needs.

The university described the complex as a potential strategic asset for expanding its academic capacity and called for coordinated implementation of the government’s decision, including the relocation of existing occupants, renovation of the facility and its development as a dedicated academic campus.

Abubakar Ibrahim, ANIP
Head, Public Relations Unit
Northwest University, Kano