In 1997 when the dethroned Libyan leader, Col. Moummar Ghaddafi, visited Kano, northern Nigeria, his host and late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha had treated him to retinue of armed security personnel on a visit to Friday Muslim Juma’at prayers. Besides the prayer session, which witnessed the full presence of many Muslims in the city, it was regarded as a mark of special privilege for the visitor, and Ghaddafi too felt honoured when he delivered a public lecture. He used the grand occasion to announce his desire to leave behind sweet memories, by establishing the Al-Manara University, which shall remain a centre of learning in the promotion of the Islamic religion, and a befitting legacy in the ancient city.
At the lecture, Gaddafi criticised the United States of America and the West for supporting the State of Israel against the Palestinian course for many decades. At the end of the lecture, he announced his desire to establish the institution for which $800 million was budgeted. Besides studies in Islam the university was expected to take-off with three faculties in the Agricultural Science, Medicine and Islam/languages, and in the long run, promote learning in all human endeavours. It was also agreed that Kano State government would provide the land and recruit teachers, while the World Islamic Call Society, WICS, would pay the salaries.
However, recent findings have revealed that a vast land measuring 137 hectares was provided for the university to be built. But after clearing the bush and building the wall-fence, contract for the project was awarded to a foreign construction firm, AG Ferrero to the chagrin of indigenous firms, which had bided for the work. Work on the project ended abruptly after the death of the maximum ruler, Sani Abacha.
The development has sent tongues wagging, with many people questioning why the project for which money was said to had been earmarked to cover its total cost, suddenly stopped following the death of Gen. Sani Abacha, who was not the sponsor of the project. Others are asking why the project was stopped, and who must have masterminded its stoppage at this crucial hour of need for education, and most importantly, who was the custodian of the fund budgeted for the project?
These are the nagging questions on the lips of many people, especially Kano Muslim residents, who are desirous of the success of the project more than a decade after it was announced publicly. That was the situation when Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar took over the mantle of office, after the death of Abacha, under whom the project was announced but could not start.
However, expectations are still high that work would resume on the construction with the second coming of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who is a practicing Muslim, although there has not been any positive news till now.

Newsworld findings revealed that the reason for abandoning the project might not be unconnected to security reasons, especially as Ghaddafi was castigated by the United States and European leaders as a breeder of Islamic militia. As such, previous administrations allegedly were advised to handle the Gaddafi project and other interests in Nigeria with caution. This is against the backdrop that Gaddafi had remained an identified enemy, who never hid his position on interfering with the internal affairs of Nigeria as measured by his desire for the nation’s break-up in the face of religious differences.
In the quest to make the university dream a reality, a team once headed by a university lecturer, Dr. Ismail, had arranged with the emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, who travelled to Tripoli, Libya, for a discussion over the possibility of resuming the construction.
Newsworld gathered that the meeting took place with the secretary-general of the World Islamic Call Society, WICS; Dr. Muhammad Ahmad Sheriff. He hinted that works stopped because according to him (Shariff), the society was not given due recognition in Nigeria let alone being registered.
However, even when he was given the assurance that WICS would be given due recognition, when the trio returned home, nothing was either done nor a committee raised to make necessary follow-up. Therefore, Shekarau only laid the foundation stone with the administrative block of four floors and a wall fencing the site, giving the impression that work had resumed.
However, findings have revealed that the inability of the ex-governor to make head way was because of the political differences that existed between the centre and Kano State, as such the issue was seen to had been politicised.
Explicitly, two reasons could be said to have contributed to the project being abandoned. The first and most important was security, and secondly, politics at play, though clandestinely.
A close source told Newsworld that because of the differences in political parties then between the centre and Kano State, the secretary-general of the WICS, Dr. Sheriff came to Nigeria and met with ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo over the possibility of getting the society registered. But the ex-president was said to have asked the secretary -general to register it with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, which advice Dr. Sheriff refused because the WICS was rather a non-governmental Organisation, NGO, which registration ought not to be with CAC, more so as it is a non-profit making organisation. The secretary-general of WICS was reportedly told that the orgisation could only be registered if the word Islam was removed. The exercise was fruitless and Dr. Sheriff returned to Libya in disappointment.
Again, the question bothering many people is the possibility of actualising the dreamed university since the sponsor, the ousted Moummar Ghaddafi had succumbed to dictates of the US and European countries, and is already dead.
Despite this, the interim head of the University, Dr. Isma’il laments how lack of push and lukewarm attitude of Kano stakeholders seem to have stalled the project, whereas, other states are giving necessary support for Islamic Universities to be built or are already building one. He also referred to a letter purportedly written by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Sulu Gambari and Kwara State government to the WICS, requesting to host the university and give it necessary support and cooperation, should it fail to materialise in Kano.
Interestingly, the Kano State Commissioner for Education, Barrister Farouk Iya Sambo told Newsworld that there was every likelihood the present administration under Engr. Rabi’u Kwankwaso would re-visit the issue with a view to resumpting work at the site.