Students of The Polytechnic Ibadan took to the streets on Tuesday to protest the recent renaming of their institution after former Oyo State Governor, Dr. Omololu Olunloyo.
The demonstrators stormed the Oyo State Government Secretariat in large numbers, wielding placards and demanding that Governor Seyi Makinde reverse the decision and retain the institution’s original name.
Chanting solidarity songs, the students insisted that the name The Polytechnic Ibadan carries historical significance and global recognition, and should not be altered.
During the protest, the President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), Olamide Oladipupo, led the charge, appealing to the state government to preserve what he described as the enduring legacy of the institution.
“We’re not against honouring Baba Olunloyo, but this school’s name is a legacy on its own and should be left unchanged,” Oladipupo said.
The Executive Assistant to the Governor on Security, Sunday Odukoya, addressed the crowd and urged the students to remain peaceful while the government considers their grievances.
Makinde renames Polytechnic after Olunloyo
The protest follows Governor Makinde’s announcement on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at the funeral service of the late Olunloyo, held at Obafemi Awolowo Stadium in Ibadan, where he declared the renaming of the polytechnic.
“Today, we will be giving Baba another honour to immortalise him. He was the first Principal of The Polytechnic, Ibadan. That institution will now be named Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan,” Makinde had stated during the ceremony.
Dr. Olunloyo, who passed away on April 6, 2025, served as governor of Oyo State from October to December 1983 and was the founding principal of the institution now at the centre of controversy.
Makinde described the late statesman as a “scholar, statesman, technocrat, lover of culture, and a man of deep conviction,” noting that his contributions to education and governance deserved lasting recognition.
Despite those sentiments, many students and alumni argue that changing the institution’s name erodes its identity.
Similar controversies have erupted across the country over renaming higher institutions. The federal government’s decision to rename the University of Abuja after General Yakubu Gowon and the earlier proposed renaming of the University of Lagos after Moshood Abiola were both met with widespread opposition and calls for reversal.
As pressure mounts, students of The Polytechnic Ibadan say their protest will continue until the state government reconsiders its position.
