President Bola Tinubu has approved the conversion of the Institute of Petroleum Studies in Kaduna into a university and renamed it in honour of the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua.
Key Highlights:
- President Bola Tinubu renamed the Kaduna Institute of Petroleum Studies into a university.
- It is now called General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology.
- The announcement was made during his Democracy Day speech on June 12, 2026.
- The move honours late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua for his role in Nigeria’s democracy.
- The change is part of efforts to recognise key national contributors.
The institution will now be known as the General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology.
Tinubu announced the decision during his Democracy Day address on Friday, June 12, 2026, as part of efforts to recognise prominent Nigerians who played significant roles in the country’s democratic evolution and national development.
According to the President, Yar’Adua remains one of the key figures whose contributions helped shape Nigeria’s democratic landscape.
Read Also:
- “ADC Blasts Tinubu: Nigeria’s Democracy Has Failed Nigerians” — Opposition Issues Damning June 12 Verdict
- Tinubu to Terrorists, Bandits: Surrender now or face full force of my government
- Tinubu to Youths: “Nigeria is your home” as he urges halt to japa migration wave
“Among the architects of modern democratic Nigeria, we honour General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua for his vision of national partnership,” Tinubu said.
Yar’Adua served as Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, from 1976 to 1979 during the military administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He was widely regarded as one of the leading figures in Nigeria’s transition from military governance to civilian rule during that period.
After leaving military service, he ventured into partisan politics and founded the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM), a political platform that produced several influential politicians across the country.
During the regime of the late General Sani Abacha, Yar’Adua was arrested and charged with involvement in an alleged coup plot. He later died in detention in 1997.
The renaming of the institution forms part of a broader effort by the Tinubu administration to honour individuals whose contributions have had a lasting impact on Nigeria’s democratic development and national unity.
