A New Name, A New Legacy: Yakubu Gowon University Rises

On December 15th 2024, I wrote of prophecies and the shifting tides of excellence. Today, I stand vindicated—not by my own hand, but by the resounding chorus of a student body united in celebration. On December 16, 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared the University of Abuja reborn as Yakubu Gowon University, a move that has ignited a fire of pride and purpose across this institution. The majority of students—93.3%, according to a survey conducted by our media outfit—are not just content but jubilant. This is no mere name change; it’s a clarion call to a higher ideal.

For those of us who’ve chronicled the ebbs and flows of this nation, the choice of Yakubu Gowon feels like a masterstroke—a square peg in a square hole, as I’ve often said. Gowon, the statesman who steered Nigeria through the crucible of civil war, etched his legacy with the words "no victor, no vanquished." That 1970 speech didn’t just end a conflict; it sowed the seeds of reconciliation, healing, and unity. To name a university after him is to enshrine those values in the bedrock of our education system. It’s a big flex, as the students say, to bear the Gowon name—a badge of honor signaling not just academic prowess but a commitment to something greater.

The student union government is abuzz, and rightly so. This isn’t just a rebranding; it’s a fulfillment of the National Policy on Education (2004), which calls for institutions to champion national unity, social justice, and cultural heritage. Yakubu Gowon University doesn’t just meet that standard—it defines it. We’re not merely the best university in Nigeria because of our lecture halls or rankings (though I’ve long argued the world’s metrics are skewed, as I noted in December 15th’s piece, "The World Ranking System: A Biased Measure of Excellence"). No, we’re the best because we embody the soul of this nation.

Of course, the road to this moment wasn’t without its detractors. The usual chorus of naysayers—those toothless bulldogs within our ranks—bared their claws and wailed through the media, their critiques as fleeting as dust in the wind. They’re a microcosm of doubt, these critics, tiny and shrill against the tide of history. Time, as always, has been the great arbiter. The students have spoken, and their verdict is clear: this is a historic day, one that will echo through generations.

The numbers don’t lie. Our survey, conducted with rigor and reach, found that 93.3% of students stand in solidarity with the renaming and the steady hand of our new acting Vice-Chancellor. The air is thick with anticipation for what’s next—whispers of a Yakubu Gowon Unity Park already stir the imagination. This is more than a prophecy fulfilled; it’s a legacy taking root.

As a student who’s faced the slings and arrows of countless skeptics, I find a quiet satisfaction in this unfolding story. We represent excellence, my friends, and today, we’ve set a new standard. Yakubu Gowon University has come to stay—not as a name on a signpost, but as a beacon of unity and progress. Let the critics bark; the caravan moves on.