Alumni, students, and residents of Borno State have strongly opposed President Bola Tinubu’s decision to rename the University of Maiduguri after former President Muhammadu Buhari. The move, announced during a special Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on July 17, 2025, was intended to honour the late leader but has instead sparked widespread backlash and in a joint petition addressed to President Tinubu, the university’s alumni and student bodies described the institution as a symbol of resilience and academic heritage in Nigeria’s North-East. They argued that the University of Maiduguri’s name carries historical weight, particularly given its role in sustaining education during years of insecurity in the region. The petition, signed by over 9,000 people within 48 hours, urged the federal government to consider renaming alternative institutions such as the Federal University of Transportation in Daura or the Nigerian Army University in Biu, both with direct connections to Buhari’s legacy.
Academic staff under the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) also rejected the proposal. In a statement, Dr Abubakar Mshelia Saidu, chairman of the chapter, labelled the renaming “politically motivated” and “a brazen affront” to the institution’s history and academic standing. ASUU said it would mobilise its members and community to resist what it called a desecration of the university’s legacy. Founded in 1975, the University of Maiduguri has built a reputation as a bastion of academic excellence and national unity. Critics argue the renaming serves political interests rather than reflecting the wishes of its stakeholders.
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