Sowore Decries “Graveyard of Courage” in Nigerian Universities After Aborted Visit to UNIABUJA

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12/11/25 • 32 vistas • 0 Compartir • Publicado en Otro

Human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has voiced deep frustration over what he described as the decay of academic freedom and student activism in Nigerian universities,..

Human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has voiced deep frustration over what he described as the decay of academic freedom and student activism in Nigerian universities, following his aborted visit to the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA).

In a detailed account shared after the incident, Sowore described Nigerian universities as “graveyards of courage and ideas,” lamenting what he called the suffocating environment of fear that now defines the nation’s tertiary institutions.

Sowore revealed that he had been invited by the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the University of Abuja, led by Comrade Yusuf Tobi Jamiu, for an interactive session with students. Despite initial skepticism—owing to what he termed the “decline in independence and boldness of students’ unions”—he decided to honour the invitation and headed straight from the airport to the campus.

However, upon arrival, things took a different turn. “An advance team already on the ground hinted that something was off; they couldn’t locate the SUG president, and the hall reserved for the event looked deserted,” Sowore recounted. Shortly afterward, he was informed that the university authorities had cancelled the program.

He described the cancellation as symbolic of a broader trend across Nigerian campuses, where open dialogue and student engagement are now treated as threats.

Despite the setback, Comrade Jamiu later reached out, assuring him that the event would still hold. But as Sowore attempted to enter the campus, security personnel stopped him at the gate, reportedly stating that the university management had declared his visit “unacceptable.”

“I alighted from the vehicle and sat on a dilapidated chair by the gate — a silent protest,” Sowore narrated. During his sit-in, he witnessed a separate incident where a female student was barred from entering the campus for “improper dressing.” Challenging the security officers, Sowore questioned their moral authority to enforce such rules, leading to the student eventually being allowed in.

Moments later, the SUG president arrived to apologise for the situation. Sowore described him as “visibly helpless,” questioning whether student leaders in Nigeria had become “representatives of students or mere extensions of the authorities.”

Disheartened, Sowore said he left the scene, calling the experience a mirror of Nigeria’s collapsing higher education system.

“What I saw at the University of Abuja was not an institution of learning, but a graveyard of courage and ideas,” he declared.

Sowore further lamented that Nigerian universities, once known for vibrant intellectualism and activism, have now become breeding grounds for fear rather than enlightenment.

“Our universities are dying not for lack of resources, but for lack of integrity, independence, and freedom,” he added.

He linked the decline in student unionism to the broader erosion of democratic values nationwide, accusing university administrators of silencing dissent and discouraging critical thinking.

Concluding with a stark warning, Sowore said:

“Nigerian universities are dead. What remains is the struggle to resurrect them.”

As of press time, The Nigeria Education News could not confirm whether UNIABUJA management officially cancelled the event or issued any statement regarding Sowore’s visit. However, the episode has reignited public debate about the state of academic freedom in Nigerian institutions, with many describing Sowore’s protest at the university gate as both a symbolic act of resistance and a wake-up call for reform.

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