Mixed reactions have continued to trail the recent renaming of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) in Borno State after the late President Muhammadu Buhari, who died on July 13, 2025. President Bola Tinubu announced the decision during an expanded Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held in Abuja recently. The decision was in honour of the former Nigerian leader. The Federal Ministry of Education later explained that the renaming was as a result of Buhari’s unwavering commitment to education. In a statement, the ministry’s director of press, Folasade Boriowo, said the ministry was deeply honoured that the sector had been chosen as the channel through which Buhari’s legacy would be permanently enshrined.
Those who support the renaming say it is a fitting tribute to the former President. Buhari was said to have played a major role in the establishment of the UNIMAID in 1975. Then, he was the military governor of the then North Eastern State. The Deputy Registrar at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Dr. Ibrahim Sani Kaita, noted that “at a time when educational infrastructure was scarce in the region, Buhari’s foresight and determination gave birth to an institution that would go on to serve millions.”
Those against the renaming have their reasons. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), UNIMAID chapter, rejected the decision to rename the university after Buhari. UNIMAID ASUU described the decision as politically motivated and “desecrates the sanctity of our alma mater.” It demanded “the immediate reversal of this ill-conceived and deeply offensive decision.” It has also threatened to sue the Federal Government over the issue. In a similar move, thousands of aggrieved Nigerians have signed a petition against the FEC decision and demanded a reversal. The petitioners said “renaming the University of Maiduguri does not align with the sentiments of its core stakeholders and the enduring identity the institution has built over the decades.”
In December 2024, the Federal Government similarly renamed the University of Abuja after the former military Head of State, Yakubu Gowon. The action was met with protests from different quarters, especially from the current and former students of the institution. Last month, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State renamed The Polytechnic, Ibadan, after a former governor of old Oyo State, Omololu Olunloyo. Students of the school took to the street to protest this decision.
Several other Nigerian universities have been renamed after politicians or public figures in Nigeria. Some notable ones include Anambra State University, renamed Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University; Ogun State University, renamed Olabisi Onabanjo University; Federal University of Technology, Yola, renamed Modibbo Adama Federal University of Technology, Yola. The University of Ife was renamed Obafemi Awolowo University in 1987. The Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, in Abia State, was renamed Michael Okpara University of Agriculture. Ekiti State University’s name was changed many times.
An attempt by the Goodluck Jonathan administration to rename the University of Lagos (UNILAG) after Chief Moshood Abiola in 2012 was greeted with public outrage and met stiff resistance from the stakeholders of the school. Even President Tinubu criticised the decision then. Jonathan was forced to rescind his decision. The renaming of UNIMAID has raised some questions begging for urgent answers. Did President Tinubu follow laid down processes before changing the name of the institution? Did he consult the National Assembly and other relevant stakeholders? Was the former President truly committed to education, with the frequent long strikes by ASUU during his tenure?
Buhari already has many institutions named after him in Borno State. What is the essence of this latest decision when the UNIMAID Senate Building is already named after him? A medical centre in the teaching hospital is named after him. Even the airport in Maiduguri bears his name. Obviously, this sudden change of name of universities is a rarity in other parts of the world. If at all there will be a change in a school’s name, such will be driven mostly by institutional changes, not to honour political figures.
The frequent renaming of some public tertiary institutions in Nigeria undermines the autonomy and identity of such institutions. They suffer the baggage of the politician, especially if that politician does not have a good name. This is not what these institutions need now. They need upgrade in their facilities, especially library and laboratory facilities, including teaching equipment and sufficient funding for research. The welfare of academic and non-academic staff needs to be upgraded to avoid frequent strikes in these institutions. The education sector as a whole needs total overhaul and an increase in its budgetary allocation.
If we must rename universities after individuals, it must be after personalities who have contributed immensely to uplifting education in Nigeria. Political leaders are not the only people who have made impact in the country. We call for the reversal of the renaming and urge the President to soft-pedal in renaming public institutions in the country. If he must honour Buhari that way, then he should build a new university and name it after him.
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