Group calls for broader consultation over renaming proposal of Unilorin
By Oluwatoyin Hawal Momolosho –
A community advocacy group, the Kwara South Consultative Forum has called for wider consultation and restraint following the proposal to rename the University of Ilorin, warning that such a move could undermine the inclusive character of the federal institution.
The call followed remarks by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, who suggested during the university’s 50th anniversary celebration that the institution be renamed after Sheikh Alimi, founder of the Alimi dynasty.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its Secretary-General, Engr. Adebayo Simon Daramola, the Forum said the University of Ilorin serves the entire state and the nation, stressing that decisions affecting its identity should reflect its diverse ownership.
The group noted that Kwara State is ethnically plural, with communities across Kwara South and North holding different historical narratives, adding that the location of the university in Ilorin does not amount to exclusive cultural ownership.
According to the Forum, while Sheikh Alimi is a significant historical figure, renaming a federal institution after him may not resonate across all sections of the state and could reopen sensitive fault lines. It suggested that alternative avenues, such as establishing a private university in his honour, be explored.
The forum also raised concerns over the recent renaming of the Kwara State Government House as Ahmadu Bello House, describing the move as lacking adequate consultation with stakeholders across the state.
It proposed that if the Government House must be named after an individual, the late Brigadier General David Lasisi Bamigboye (retd.), Kwara State’s pioneer military governor, should be considered due to his foundational role in the state’s development.
The group appealed to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to intervene, urging the state government to uphold fairness, equity and unity in decisions of symbolic and historical significance, noting that the University of Ilorin, established in 1975, reflects Nigeria’s national diversity.
