President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has approved the renaming of the Federal University of Medical Sciences, Azare, located in Azare, Bauchi State, northeastern Nigeria, in honour of the late and highly revered Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, a scholar widely respected across Nigeria and the wider Muslim world.
The President announced the decision on Saturday, December 20, 2025, during a condolence visit to the family of the late cleric at his country residence in Bauchi, the capital city of Bauchi State in northern Nigeria. The visit formed part of President Tinubu’s engagement to personally sympathise with the family and followers of the Islamic scholar following his death.
Speaking during the visit, President Tinubu explained that the renaming of the institution was intended to immortalise the cleric’s lifelong contributions to humanity, religious education, and peaceful coexistence.
“From today onward, I announce this change of name to immortalise him. The Federal University of Medical Sciences, Azare, Bauchi State, will from today be known as Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi University. May God bless his memory,” the President said.
Okay News reports that the President described the passing of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi as a major loss not only to the Muslim community but also to Nigeria as a nation, noting that the cleric’s life was defined by humility, selfless service, and unwavering commitment to the propagation of Islam and peace.
President Tinubu offered prayers for Allah’s mercy upon the soul of the late scholar and asked that he be granted Jannatul Firdaus, the highest level of paradise in Islamic belief. He also prayed for strength and comfort for the bereaved family, as well as the government and people of Bauchi State, while urging Nigerians across religious and ethnic divides to continue to pray for unity and peace in the country.
Responding on behalf of the family, Sheikh Ibrahim Usman Bauchi, the eldest son of the late cleric, expressed deep appreciation to the President for the condolence visit, prayers, and the honour conferred on his father. He also thanked the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, for his consistent support to the family.
In his own remarks, Governor Bala Mohammed thanked President Tinubu for recognising the enduring legacy of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, describing the renaming of the university as a gesture that honours both the family and the entire people of Bauchi State.
The President was accompanied on the visit by several senior government officials, including Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives; Mai Mala Buni, Governor of Yobe State in northeastern Nigeria; and Seyi Tinubu, among other top officials.
President Tinubu arrived in Bauchi at about 4:09 p.m. via the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, where he was received with a guard of honour mounted by the Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria’s air combat arm. He was welcomed by Governor Bala Mohammed, Caleb Mutfwang, Governor of Plateau State in central Nigeria; Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare; Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Shehu Buba, Senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District in Nigeria’s National Assembly.
The condolence visit underscored the late cleric’s decades-long influence on Islamic scholarship, peace advocacy, and community development across Nigeria and beyond.
