By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
President Bola Tinubu has paid tribute to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari by renaming the University of Maiduguri to Muhammadu Buhari University, Maiduguri.
This announcement was made during a special Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
Notable figures, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, cabinet ministers, National Assembly leaders, judiciary representatives, and members of Buhari’s family attended the meeting.
Tinubu described Buhari as “a good man, a decent man, an honourable man” whose legacy of discipline, patriotism, and moral uprightness would endure for generations.
“In honour of his memory, will the special session of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) adopt the renaming of the University of Maiduguri to Muhammadu Buhari University, Maiduguri.”
This decision shows Buhari’s significant contributions to Nigeria, both as a military leader from 1984 to 1985 and as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023.
The University of Maiduguri, established in 1975, has a rich history, starting with 743 students across three faculties and growing to include a college of Medical Sciences, a School of Postgraduate Studies, and 12 faculties.
There are 12 Faculties currently. They include: Agriculture, Arts, Dentistry, Education, Engineering, Law, Management Sciences, Pharmacy, Science, Social Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine.
The renaming is expected to be formalized through an amendment of the University’s establishment Act by the National Assembly.
