UniAbuja Renamed Yakubu Gowon University in Honour of ex-Nigerian Leader

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has given the green light to rename the University of Abuja to Yakubu Gowon University.

This decision was made during the FEC meeting on Monday, which was presided over by President Bola Tinubu, Persecondnews reports.

According to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the renaming is in honour of former Head of State and elder statesman, retired General Yakubu Gowon.

The move is meant to recognize Gowon’s contributions to Nigeria’s unity and his efforts in upholding true federalism.

The renaming process will now proceed to the National Assembly for formal approval.

The Federal Ministry of Education will prepare the necessary documents to change the Act of the University, as revealed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa.

According to Idris, the renaming honours Gowon’s crucial contributions to Nigeria’s stability, especially his leadership during the Nigerian Civil War.

He said that the Council will write the National Assembly on the resolution and the change.

Idris also announced that the council will embark on a recess from December 18, 2024, to January 6, 2025.

He said: “The third item is that there is also a decision taken by the Federal Executive Council to rename the University of Abuja to honour elder statesman General Yakubu Gowon.

“The University of Abuja will, henceforth, be called Yakubu Gowon University.

“Of course, the process will have to go to the National Assembly for all legislative work in that direction, but FEC has taken that decision to write to the National Assembly to change the name of the University of Abuja.”

Established on January 1, 1988, the University of Abuja pioneered a dual-mode approach, offering both conventional and distance learning programs, making it the first university in Nigeria to adopt this innovative model.

The university comprises nine faculties, the College of Health Sciences, and various schools and institutes, including the School of Remedial Studies, the Centre for Distance Learning, the Institute of Education, and the School of Postgraduate Studies.

It currently boasts a robust academic community, comprising 55,364 students and a dedicated workforce of 3,362 staff members.