Tinubu renames Kano’s education varsity after Yusuf Maitama Sule

President Bola Tinubu has renamed the Federal University of Education, Kano, to Yusuf Maitama Sule Federal University of Education.

In a statement on Wednesday, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president, said the decision is to honour Sule whose socio-political development “remained unparalleled”.

Yusuf Maitama Sule (1929–2017) was a Nigerian politician, diplomat, and statesman known for his unity advocacy.

He served as minister of mines and power (1959–1966) and later became Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1983–1988), where he chaired the UN’s special committee against apartheid.

Onanuga quoted Tinubu as saying Sule’s legacy should inspire “younger generations to uphold integrity, patriotism, character, and nationalism”.

“Sule served as chief whip of the federal house of representatives (1954–1959), leader of Nigeria’s delegation to the Conference of Independent States (1960), first federal commissioner of public complaints (1976), and minister of mines and power,” he said.

“He was Nigeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, where he was chairman of the UN special committee against apartheid.

“President Tinubu believes that immortalising Ambassador Sule’s legacy will inspire younger generations to uphold integrity, patriotism, character, and nationalism.”

FCE Kano was founded in 1961 as Advanced Teachers’ College, Kano.

It was later upgraded to a Federal College of Education in 1990.

The college was officially upgraded to university status on August 14, 2024.

This Federal University of Education, Kano would then be renamed.

Tinubu said the university will continue to play a pivotal role in training teachers, further strengthening Nigeria’s education sector.