Education: ASUU Rejects Renaming of UNIMAID After Late President Buhari
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the Federal Government’s decision to rename the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) to Muhammadu Buhari University, describing it as a non-consultative, politically motivated move that undermines the university’s heritage.
The renaming was announced following a Federal Executive Council meeting, and is part of efforts to immortalise the late former President Muhammadu Buhari. However, ASUU insists that such a major change should have involved wide stakeholder consultation, including academics, students, alumni, the university senate, and host communities.
In a statement issued by the union’s leadership, ASUU said:
“Renaming UNIMAID after Buhari is a move made without input from the people who uphold the institution’s values. It disregards the university’s long-standing identity, especially as a centre of learning that stood firm throughout years of insurgency in the North-East.”
Prominent activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore also criticised the decision, urging UNIMAID alumni and Nigerians to resist what he called “historical erasure by political branding.”
In response, the Federal Ministry of Education, led by Minister Tahir Mamman, defended the decision, calling it a “well-deserved honour” for Buhari’s contributions to education, agriculture, infrastructure, and security, particularly in the North-East.
Meanwhile, a coalition of students, staff, and alumni have launched an online petition to oppose the name change. The petition argues that the university’s original identity should be preserved, and suggests that alternative institutions in Daura or Biu—places with stronger personal ties to Buhari—would be more appropriate.
As of now, there is no National Assembly act formally enacting the renaming, which suggests the change remains symbolic unless legislated.
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