The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the renaming of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) to Yakubu Gowon University in honour of Nigeria’s former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd.), who recently marked his 90th birthday.
The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this on Monday during the 14th council meeting of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Idris noted that the proposal for the renaming would be forwarded to the National Assembly for formal approval to give it legal backing.
“This renaming is in recognition of General Yakubu Gowon’s exceptional service to Nigeria, particularly during his time as the Head of State, and his enduring contributions to peace and unity,” Idris stated.
Gowon, a retired Nigerian military officer, led the country from 1966 to 1975.
He became Nigeria’s youngest leader at 31, assuming office during a period of intense political instability following a counter-coup. Gowon is best remembered for his leadership during the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970), which was triggered by the secession of the southeastern region.
During the war, he adopted the slogan, “To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done,” and played a pivotal role in preserving the country’s territorial integrity.
In the post-war period, Gowon championed the “no victor, no vanquished” policy, initiating national reconciliation and reconstruction efforts to heal divisions caused by the conflict.
His tenure also witnessed remarkable economic growth driven by an oil boom, which he used to expand Nigeria’s infrastructure and educational system.
However, his time in office ended in 1975 when he was overthrown in a bloodless coup while attending an Organization of African Unity (OAU) summit in Uganda.
After his ouster, Gowon spent years in exile, pursued further academic studies, and later emerged as an advocate for peace and unity in Nigeria.
The University of Abuja, established in 1988, was designed as a dual-mode institution, offering both conventional and distance learning programmes to accommodate a diverse student population.
With its renaming to Yakubu Gowon University, the institution is expected to further embody the values of national unity and development that Gowon espoused during and after his leadership.
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