By Okechukwu Nwanguma
I recall vividly the events between 1990 and 1991, during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. At the time, I was actively involved in the students’ union at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The university authorities were preparing for a convocation ceremony and had included in the program the award of an honorary doctorate in law to Mrs. Mariam Babangida, the wife of the military ruler. The justification? Her “Better Life for Rural Women” pet project.
Also on the list for honorary awards was Professor Wole Soyinka, a globally acclaimed intellectual and human rights advocate. But the inclusion of Mrs. Babangida on that list sparked outrage among us students.
We, in the Students’ Union, categorically rejected the proposal. We viewed the award as an attempt to launder the image of a military dictatorship and to reward proximity to power rather than merit. We organised a protest to voice our opposition, issuing a statement that outlined our objections in clear terms. We argued that our university—an institution of learning and a supposed bastion of critical thought—should not confer undeserved honours on the wife of a military dictator. In a bit of sarcastic humour, we suggested that if the university was so eager to recognise Mrs. Babangida, it could instead consider awarding her a diploma in rural sociology.
Unsurprisingly, the authorities were not amused. The university was shut down to prevent students from being present during the convocation. Before that, the then Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, had sent emissaries to us, even offering an envelope, which we rejected. The meeting, held at the office of the Area Commander, was a failed attempt to dissuade us from our principled stance. The convocation eventually held, but Mrs. Babangida, perhaps sensing the mood, did not attend.
Fast forward to 2025. Today, we see the same betrayal of academic integrity playing out with renewed vigor. The University of Port Harcourt has conferred an honorary doctorate degree in Political Science on Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Governor of Rivers State. This comes despite widespread public criticism of his autocratic tendencies, divisive politics, and perceived hostility to dissent.
Even more troubling is the renaming of the University of Maiduguri after Muhammadu Buhari, a former military dictator who later returned as a civilian president but failed to meet the democratic and governance expectations of many Nigerians. The decision—reportedly made without meaningful consultation—has been roundly rejected by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Maiduguri chapter, which has vowed to challenge it in court.
These developments reveal a disturbing trend: the politicization of our universities and the erosion of their moral authority. Honorary degrees and institutional renamings, once reserved for individuals of outstanding merit and unquestionable integrity, are now routinely deployed as instruments of political patronage and sycophancy. The values of merit, intellectual independence, and public service are being sacrificed on the altar of proximity to power.
It is not just about symbolism. When academic institutions lose their autonomy and integrity, society loses a critical voice. The universities—supposedly sanctuaries of knowledge and critical inquiry—become complicit in reinforcing authoritarianism and mediocrity.
We must resist this decline. Nigerian universities must reclaim their role as independent moral voices in the national conversation. Honor should be earned, not bought with political influence.
