In Nigeria, the trend of renaming universities and higher institutions after national figures has become a recurring — and increasingly polarising — tradition. While intended as symbolic acts of honour, these gestures often ignite controversy, exposing the tension between commemorative politics and deeply rooted institutional identities.
This delicate interplay between national recognition and public sentiment recently came to light in Oyo State, where Governor Seyi Makinde’s renaming of the First Technical University in Ibadan sparked both admiration and resistance. As experts suggest, institutional identity functions like organisational DNA — resilient, historic, and difficult to alter without consequence.
“Institutional names are more than titles; they are reputational anchors built over decades,” said an academic analyst familiar with the Oyo controversy. “Changing them may appear simple, but it reshapes how stakeholders perceive value, legacy, and even academic credibility.”
This genetic-like persistence of institutional identity explains why some renaming efforts are met with wide acceptance — such as in the case of posthumous honouring of widely respected figures — while others face backlash from students, alumni, and education advocates who view the act as politicisation of academic heritage.
As debates about symbolic change persist in Nigeria’s educational landscape, development-focused interventions offer a stark contrast in terms of measurable impact.
Last weekend in Rivers State, IHS Nigeria, in collaboration with UNICEF, conducted a project inspection of an oxygen plant recently installed at the General Hospital in Eleme — a donation that is already saving lives and bridging critical healthcare gaps.
Titilope Oguntuga, Director of Sustainability at IHS Nigeria, described the oxygen plant as a “life-saving infrastructure” that reflects the organisation’s commitment to community welfare.
“Our mission is not just about creating opportunities for impact — it’s about continuing to support Nigeria’s healthcare sector with interventions that directly affect lives,” she stated.
The plant is one of several located across nine states, part of a broader strategy to strengthen medical infrastructure and reduce avoidable deaths, especially among children.
Dr. Anslem Audu, Chief of UNICEF’s Port Harcourt Field Office, echoed the plant’s significance, recalling the desperate oxygen shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“At the peak of the pandemic, oxygen was a lifeline that many hospitals simply couldn’t provide. This plant is already transforming emergency response, especially for children suffering from pneumonia.”
While name changes in education institutions continue to stir heated debate, interventions like the oxygen plant serve as reminders that impactful legacy isn’t only built through symbolic gestures — but also through tangible action that saves lives and strengthens communities.
Whether through educational reform or public health investment, Nigeria’s future hinges not on the names we assign to our institutions, but on how those institutions — and their partners — serve the needs of the people they represent.