The recent decision by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rename the University of Maiduguri to Muhammadu Buhari University, Maiduguri, has sparked a range of opinions—some supportive, others vehemently opposed. However, in our rush to politicize everything, we risk losing sight of the bigger picture: history, legacy, and global norms.
Renaming public institutions after prominent figures is not unique to Nigeria, nor is it unusual. In fact, many of the most prestigious institutions across the world bear the names of individuals who helped shape them or the countries they belong to.
Take Harvard University in the United States. When it was founded in 1636, it was known simply as “New College.” Just three years later, it was renamed after John Harvard, a young minister who donated his library and a portion of his estate. Today, it’s a name that carries global prestige.
Yale University is named after Elihu Yale, a British merchant and donor. Stanford University is named after Leland Stanford, a U.S. senator and railroad tycoon. In Canada, McGill University is named after James McGill, a Scottish-Canadian merchant. In South Africa, Rhodes University is named after Cecil Rhodes. These examples show that naming institutions after significant individuals—whether donors, leaders, or historical figures—is standard practice globally.
Opponents of the renaming argue that Buhari does not deserve such an honour. But that criticism ignores the depth of his cultural, historical, and administrative ties to the northeast, particularly Borno State.
It is widely acknowledged that Buhari’s mother was of Kanuri origin—the predominant ethnic group in Borno and Yobe States. That alone gives him an ancestral connection to the region.
Beyond heritage, Buhari also served as the military governor of the old North-Eastern State from August 1975 to March 1976, overseeing a region that included today’s Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, and Taraba states. His administrative imprint on the region is not accidental—it’s historical.
Few Nigerians today remember a critical episode that further underscores Buhari’s relevance to the northeast: his military action in 1983 against Chadian rebels who invaded Nigerian territory.
As General Officer Commanding (GOC) the 3rd Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army, Buhari led troops to repel the Chadian forces, who had occupied Nigerian islands in Lake Chad. Reports say he not only drove them out but went beyond Nigeria’s border—deep into Chad—to ensure they wouldn’t return. While this move technically breached diplomatic protocol, it earned him widespread admiration as a soldier who would not tolerate even an inch of Nigeria’s land being taken.
Later, as Nigeria’s Head of State (1983–1985) and then President (2015–2023), Buhari continued to have strong engagements with the northeast. Borno, in particular, remained a focal point of his security agenda as Nigeria battled insurgency. The region saw military support, humanitarian interventions, and infrastructure rebuilding under his watch.
Yes, criticisms of his governance are valid in a democratic society—but to argue that he left no legacy is to ignore reality. Just like Ahmadu Bello, Obafemi Awolowo, and Nnamdi Azikiwe, Buhari’s name on a university is not a reward for perfection, but a recognition of relevance, identity, and national history.
Institutions are named not just to honour individuals but to tell a story. The renaming of the University of Maiduguri is a way of linking the institution to a figure whose personal, military, administrative, and ancestral legacy is tied to the region.
Let us not reduce everything to political bitterness. If we truly care about the future of our institutions, then we must begin to see naming—not as an emotional exercise—but as a historical and symbolic act.
Time will judge the decision. But for now, history already supports it.
Written by Ahmed Abdulkadir, Board Chairman, Katsina State Radio and Television Services
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