The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the renaming of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) to Yakubu Gowon University, in honour of the former Nigerian head of state who recently celebrated his 90th birthday.
Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information, announced the decision during the 14th council meeting of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Addressing state house correspondents after the session, which was the last for 2024, Idris said the proposal would be forwarded to the National Assembly for formal approval to ensure its official recognition.
The decision celebrates the contributions of General Yakubu Gowon (retd), who led Nigeria as head of state from 1966 to 1975.
Gowon, Nigeria’s youngest leader at age 31, rose to power following a counter-coup during a time of political turmoil.
Gowon is most remembered for his leadership during the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970), a conflict triggered by the attempted secession of the southeastern region.
His administration adopted the slogan “to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done,” a commitment that preserved the nation’s territorial integrity.
Following the war, Gowon introduced the “no victor, no vanquished” policy, promoting national reconciliation and launching reconstruction projects aimed at healing the country’s deep divisions.
His tenure was also marked by economic growth driven by an oil boom. Gowon utilized this period of prosperity to invest in large-scale infrastructure and expand access to education across the country.
However, his leadership ended abruptly in 1975 when he was ousted in a bloodless coup while attending an Organization of African Unity (OAU) summit in Uganda.
Gowon later spent years in exile, pursuing academic studies and eventually becoming a prominent advocate for peace and unity in Nigeria.
Established in 1988, the University of Abuja was designed as a dual-mode institution, offering both conventional and distance learning programmes.
It has served as a hub for academic excellence, catering to a diverse student population.