The University of Maiduguri chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has vowed to drag the Federal Government to court over the renaming of the institution after late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The union described the move as a violation of university autonomy, warning that it would resist what it called “a politically motivated erasure of the institution’s identity.”
In a statement issued on Friday, jointly signed by ASUU-UNIMAID Chairperson Dr Abubakar Mshelia and Assistant Secretary Peter Teri, the union confirmed that the decision followed an emergency congress held on 24 July 2025.
“Congress unanimously resolved to vehemently reject and strongly condemn the decision to rename the University of Maiduguri to Muhammadu Buhari University, Maiduguri,” the statement read.
ASUU said it considered the announcement an “ill-conceived, arbitrary decision, devoid of meaningful consultation with the university community, alumni, relevant stakeholders, and the general public.”
The renaming was announced as part of a Federal Government directive to honour prominent Nigerians posthumously. However, the move has triggered sharp criticism, especially from academic quarters.
“Any attempt to rename the University of Maiduguri after 50 years of respected existence — is a flagrant disregard for university autonomy,” the union said. “It disrupts cherished academic traditions and assaults the collective heritage of the university community.”
The union further accused the Federal Government of bypassing institutional governance processes. “This is a troubling disregard for due process and stakeholder engagement in governance,” the statement added.
ASUU-UNIMAID disclosed that its executive committee had been mandated to initiate legal proceedings to challenge the decision and prevent legislative endorsement of the new name.
It also urged the national ASUU leadership, civil society groups, the National Assembly, student unions, and other actors in the education sector to resist what it described as a politicisation of higher education spaces.
“The autonomy and integrity of public universities must be upheld without political interference,” the union insisted.
Although the Federal Ministry of Education is yet to issue an official response, sources familiar with the matter told Observers Times that discussions around university name changes had not passed through all relevant regulatory and advisory bodies.
The University of Maiduguri, established in 1975, is one of Nigeria’s foremost federal institutions in the North-East, with a legacy of academic resilience despite over a decade of Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State.
Critics argue that the proposed renaming, though symbolic, risks trivialising institutional history, especially in a region still rebuilding from conflict.
