City Talk: Renaming Institutions— Why Do Yorubas Fight Their Own?

…Like Governor Makinde, like President Tinubu — both leaders recently renamed prominent institutions to honor deserving figures. But while one action sparked unity, the other triggered protest.

In societies that value legacy and progress, naming public institutions after great individuals serves as a tool for remembrance, education, and national pride. It is not a new practice. Across the world, we find schools, hospitals, airports, and universities named after past leaders, scholars, humanitarians, or nation-builders — not because of perfection, but because of their contributions.
But in Nigeria, particularly in the Southwest, such gestures are often met with suspicion, outrage, or politicized resistance. The recent renaming of The Polytechnic, Ibadan to The Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan, is the latest example.

On June 26, 2025, Governor Seyi Makinde, a visionary leader whose administration continues to place Oyo State on a path of historic reform, announced the renaming of the institution in honor of Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo. It was not a political gimmick, but a recognition of legacy, a salute to the first rector of the school, a brilliant mathematician, and an elder statesman with an undisputed place in Oyo’s academic and political history.

Governor Makinde’s decision reflected a deep understanding of what legacy truly means: preserving the contributions of those who laid the foundational stones on which we build today. Just as he has transformed education, health, infrastructure, and youth development in Oyo State, this act added another bold chapter to his administration’s legacy.

But sadly, the reaction from a section of the student body was one of rejection and protest.

This raises a critical question: Why do we, as Yoruba people, sometimes resist the honoring of our own?

When the Federal Government recently renamed the University of Maiduguri to Muhammadu Buhari University, there was little to no uproar. It was accepted, even celebrated by the northern community.

But when President Goodluck Jonathan in 2012 attempted to rename University of Lagos to M.K.O. Abiola University, the protests were immediate and intense. Now in 2025, we see history repeating itself in Ibadan.

Are we too divided to celebrate ourselves? Have we become so critical that even acts of honor are viewed through the lens of tribal politics or generational bias?

It’s time to step back and reflect. Dr. Olunloyo’s name deserves to be etched in the halls of that great institution. He served, built, and led with excellence. Governor Makinde’s decision was not only timely, it was deeply just.

We must educate our youth on the value of legacy, that honoring someone is not erasing history but enriching it. Protest has its place in democracy, but protesting an act of recognition rooted in merit is a dangerous precedent.

If we cannot celebrate our own, who will?

When communities protest against honoring their heroes, they unintentionally erase the very history they hope to defend. When everything is politicized, nothing is celebrated.

It is time we learned that recognition is not always about politics. Sometimes, it is simply about giving flowers to those who planted trees under which we now find shade.

Let us, as Yorubas, rise above division and learn to protect and promote our own. That is how communities thrive. That is how legacies are preserved.

See you next time on CITY TALK WITH EGALITARIAN

Egalitarian Segun Akinlabi writes from Ibadan, Oyo State.
July 19, 2025