President Bola Tinubu has announced the renaming of the University of Maiduguri to Muhammadu Buhari University in honor of Nigeria’s former president, Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away days ago in London at the age of 82.
The announcement was made on Thursday during a special session of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) held in Abuja to pay tribute to the late leader. Tinubu described the decision as a mark of respect for Buhari’s service to the country both as a military ruler and a democratically elected president.
“In honor of his memory, the Federal Executive Council has approved the renaming of the University of Maiduguri to Muhammadu Buhari University, Maiduguri,” Tinubu declared during the session.
The University of Maiduguri, founded in 1975 as one of Nigeria’s second-generation universities under the Third National Development Plan, will now bear the name of a man who shaped Nigeria’s political landscape for decades. However, the renaming will require legislative backing, as the National Assembly must amend the institution’s Establishment Act before the change becomes official.
Buhari’s funeral, held in his hometown of Daura in Katsina State on Wednesday, drew prominent dignitaries and political figures from across the country. Buhari retired to Daura after handing over power to Tinubu on May 29, 2023, marking the end of his constitutionally permitted two terms in office.
The late leader first came to prominence as Nigeria’s military head of state between January 1984 and August 1985 following a coup. Decades later, he returned to power as a civilian president, serving from 2015 to 2023. His tenure was marked by economic reforms, security challenges, and anti-corruption campaigns that defined much of his administration’s legacy.
Originally established without its own structures, the university began operations in 1976 after inheriting facilities from the former North East College of Arts and Science. Over the years, it has grown into a major academic institution, enrolling thousands of students across diverse disciplines. At its inception, the school had only 743 students spread across three faculties—Arts and Education, Science, and Social Science & Law.
Renaming the University of Maiduguri after Buhari is seen as a symbolic gesture to honor his contribution to Nigeria’s unity and development. It also aligns with the government’s plan to preserve the legacies of past leaders through national monuments and institutions.
The Muhammadu Buhari University, as it will now be known once the legislative process is complete, is expected to continue its role as a leading center of learning in northern Nigeria, while serving as a lasting tribute to a former president whose influence spanned decades of the country’s political history.
