A Sokoto-based heritage group has renewed its call on the Federal Government to immortalize Nigeria’s first executive president, Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, GCFR, by renaming the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in his honour — a move aligned with a 2018 pledge made by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The call was made by Professor Uthman Abdulqadir, who read a statement on behalf of Sokoto Heritage Reloaded Initiative in an open appeal addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. The group urged the President to honour the legacy of Shehu Shagari by fulfilling the promise of national remembrance earlier made by the Buhari administration.
In December 2018, shortly after Shagari’s death at the age of 93, President Buhari visited the late leader’s family in Sokoto and, through a condolence message read by then-Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, declared that the Federal Government would “in due course institute a suitable memorial” to honour Shagari’s memory.
Describing Shagari as “a landmark figure” and “virtually the last link to the post-independence government of Alhaji Tafawa Balewa,” Buhari said the former president’s passing was a grievous loss to the nation.
In his appeal, Prof. Abdulqadir echoed those sentiments, stating:
“Shehu Shagari was not just Nigeria’s first executive president — he was a visionary whose contributions, especially in education and national unity, deserve lasting recognition. Renaming NOUN in his honour is a fitting memorial that reflects his legacy of inclusivity and enlightenment.”
He argued that such a step would not only immortalize Shagari but also demonstrate President Tinubu’s respect for national heroes and commitment to continuity in governance beyond party lines.
“By honouring Shagari today, President Tinubu would also be honouring a promise made in good faith by his predecessor — a promise Nigerians have not forgotten,” he added.
Shehu Shagari served as Nigeria’s president from 1979 to 1983 before being ousted in a military coup. His death in 2018 marked the end of an era in Nigeria’s post-independence political history.
To date, no federal institution bears his name, despite his historic role in laying the foundation for modern Nigerian democracy and advancing open university education.
By Usman Mohammed Binji
