By Abdul Lauya
In a bold fusion of tribute and political messaging, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday renamed the University of Maiduguri as Muhammadu Buhari University, in honour of his late predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, whose death on July 13 triggered a cascade of tributes across Nigeria’s political establishment.
The announcement, made during a special Federal Executive Council (FEC) session at the Presidential Villa, came amid solemn tributes by Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, ministers, lawmakers, and top government functionaries. Two weeks after Buhari’s passing in London and burial in Daura, Katsina State, the session doubled as a national moment of political canonisation for Nigeria’s eighth president.
President Tinubu described Buhari as “a good, decent, and honourable man”, lauding his record in public service, especially his incorruptibility, moral clarity, and austere leadership style. Tinubu said Buhari’s “quiet courage and righteousness that never announced itself” would inspire generations to come.
“In recognition of his immense contributions to Nigeria’s development, the University of Maiduguri will henceforth be known as Muhammadu Buhari University,” Tinubu declared, receiving a round of applause.
The renaming, while solemn in tone, is politically symbolic, underscoring Tinubu’s effort to entrench Buhari’s memory and link his own presidency with his predecessor’s legacy of discipline, patriotism, and fiscal probity.
But beneath the glowing tributes, the move reopens a longstanding national debate over the renaming of federal universities, often done without broad consultation or legislative backing.
Founded in 1975, the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) has been a pillar of intellectual resilience in Nigeria’s insurgency-battered North-East, offering landmark contributions in conflict research, medicine, agriculture, and Islamic studies. Its identity, stakeholders argue, is deeply rooted in regional history and decades of academic excellence.
While similar renamings, such as Obafemi Awolowo University and Alex Ekwueme Federal University, have been accepted due to direct institutional associations, controversial attempts like the 2012 rebranding of University of Lagos as “Moshood Abiola University” faced intense backlash and were swiftly reversed.
Critics contend that such top-down decisions, often made without engaging alumni, faculty, or host communities, risk eroding institutional heritage. Degrees from renamed institutions often carry additional disclaimers, complicating verification processes for alumni worldwide.
At the time of filing this report, no official statement had been issued on whether the Tinubu administration would send an enabling bill to the National Assembly to legally amend the University of Maiduguri’s founding law, a constitutional prerequisite for the change to stand.
Meanwhile, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, in his tribute, read a previously undisclosed letter from Buhari dated June 9, 2022, addressed to APC governors after Tinubu’s emergence as the party’s presidential flagbearer. The letter debunked claims that Buhari was lukewarm toward Tinubu’s bid.
“Our candidate, His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is no stranger to you… I look forward to working closely with APC governors to support Tinubu to victory in 2023,” Buhari had written.
The revelation, seen as a posthumous political endorsement, further entrenched the narrative of continuity between the Tinubu and Buhari administrations, while simultaneously rebuffing claims of estrangement between the two men during the election season.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio echoed sentiments of admiration, noting Buhari’s modesty, devotion to duty, and principled leadership, even at personal cost. Governors, ministers, and the Head of Service also paid glowing tributes.
Yusuf Buhari, the late president’s son, thanked Tinubu, Vice President Shettima, and their wives for their unwavering support throughout the family’s ordeal. “It showed that he was regarded far more than a politician, but as a friend and a father to all,” he said.
While the legacy of Muhammadu Buhari will continue to spark debate, Thursday’s events were clearly designed not just to mourn a leader, but to cement his place in Nigeria’s political pantheon, one federal university at a time.
