By: Emmanuel Yautama Amaza

The year 2018 witnessed possibly the greatest birthing of an idea that brought collaboration and co-operation between the military and civilians. This was was long overdue after a tough military regime and a yound democracy in Nigeria. This led to the establishment of the first evergreen and special university – Nigerian Army University Biu (NAUB) which comprised of 25% military and 75% civilians.

Before, at the start and after the establishment of Nigerian Army University Biu, the university has been the envy of all due to the vast potentials it posseses.

1. A THREAT TO NIGERIAN DEFENCE ACADEMY (NDA): The Nigeria Army constitutes nearly 56.1% of the Nigerian Military making it the majority. The establishment of NAUB which will take in many Army personnels has by far shared or reduced the over hyped relevance of the Nigerian Defence Academy in the Nigerian Security Architecture. Other military institutions like The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in Kaduna, Admiralty University of Nigeria in Delta State were long established for decades but concerns were never raised.
2. ANSWERABLE TO NATIONAL DEFENCE COLLEGE (FORMERLY NATIONAL WAR COLLEGE ) – The Nigerian army University Biu is just like other middle level military staff training college like Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji and Nigerian Defence Academy, both in Kaduna. As the National Defence College, Abuja is the apex military training institution in Nigeria and not the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna. So why can’t we have other middle level staff training colleges.
3. A SPECIAL UNIVERSITY – Recently Nigeria has seen the rise of such Specialised Universities in Nigeria like NAUB. There are 3 Federal Universities of Health Sciences in Otukpo, in Osun State, and in Azare, Bauchi state. Federal Medical Centers in states like Gombe were converted to become Federal Teaching Centres. The Federal University of Medical Sciences and Biomedical Technology, Funtua in Katsina state were all all established and never seen or ever assumed to rival the Federal Teaching Hospitals.
4. NO ASSU STRIKE – while other conventional universities went on strike action, the Nigerian Army University Biu continued with their academic activities. It became a university where a 4 years course was achieved in 4 years and not 7 years like other conventional universities.
5. NAUB IS UNDER MINISTRY OF DEFENCE AND NOT MINISTRY OF EDUCATION. – NAUB is receiving special attention and massive funding as it is under ministry of defence. This special treatment has become a thorn in the flesh of other conventional universities. The Maritime University of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom and Federal University of Transportation, Daura both originated from Federal Ministry of transportation with similar if not same aims and objectives, yet they were not merged, maritime University was not converted to Federal University
6. SPECIAL COURSES AND INSTITUTES – NAUB offers courses in Security and Criminology, Miilitary History etc and has an Institute of War and Peace that cannot be found in other conventional Universities. The knowledge of Military history was instrumental as military historians advised Gen. Sani Abacha for Nigeria not to go to war against Cameroon over Bakassi. After the war, we return to fight poverty.
7. MILITARY AND FIELD MEDICINE – NAUB if allowed to reach its potential will witness the upgrading of its MRS (Medical Registry System or Nedical Reception Stations) to a College of Military and Field Medicine where the Nigerian armed forces and Paramilitary can further their career and serve humanity. With this training, our soldiers can set up field hospital to attend to wounded soldiers and not die on the way before reaching the hospital.
8. CONFLICT AND CATASTROPHE MEDICINE – NAUB if allowed to reach its potential will be instrumental in producing professionals in the field of catastrophic medicine in times of natural and man made disasters. During the 2024 Maiduguri flood, we witnessed the deployment of Nigerian Army to rescue flood victims but could not offer any immediate medical attention or first aid to victims as they were not trained. Boko Haram terrorism has caused so harm and disaster that we need experts in this field.
9. NO CULTISM OR THUGGERY – NAUB has and is graduating the best disciplined students as there is no reports of cultism or thuggery of beating of lecturers by indisciplined student. Such a school is reviving great educational standards where you will be asked what is your displine and not what is your course of study.

NAUB is seen as the pride and bedrock of the Nigerian Army which constitutes the majority of the Nigerian Military to salvage this country, Nigeria.

It is to serve as the research higher institution for innovation and technology for the Nigerian Army (military), who are the preservers of territorial integrity and sovereignty of our great nation, Nigeria.

So Nigerians are asking why after a failed mission to merge the Nigerian Army University Biu with Nigerian Defence Academy. A bill was now proposed to convert Nigerian Army University Biu to Federal University Biu. Nigerians demand answers

If so we as well demand the conversion of Airforce institute of Technology, kaduna founded in 1977, Maritime University etc to Federal Universities.

NAUB was strategically located in far North Eastern Town of Nigeria, BIU to combat the spread of the Boko Haram Terrorist to other parts of the country as well as to train the populace of North Eastern Nigeria is the most economically and educationally backward region in Nigeria and all Nigerians at large. The siting of the university has stopped the advance of Boko Haram terrorism to the rest of Nigeria

Why must the cake in the mouth of the most under developed and most deprived region in Nigeria be reduced to sand in their mouth?

NAUB is the pride of the Nigerian Army and only functional Federal Government Higher Institution in BIU and Southern Borno Senatorial District at large. This is a region that has suffered from under development from both their state and now at the Federal level who are supposed to be the last hope of every people and region in Nigeria.

Nigerians are asking what happened to the notion of “Even Development” nationwide. Or is it now “uneven development”

From the inception of NAUB, Nigerian Army University Biu, the bride and blossoming flower 🌹 of the Nigerian Army became a log of wood in the eyes of other selfish and individualistic Nigerians who said who knows Biu in Nigeria for such a powerful institution to be located in such a place. Some felt NAUB has so much potential that, it is competing with NDA.

During plenary in the senate, having understood the great potential of NAUB, other senators argued that NAUB should have campuses in all 6 geo-political zones of Nigeria but it was countered that there is no institution that is scattered as such in Nigeria

Sen. Ahmed lawan, former senate President did hit the hammer for NAUB to be a full civilian University and nothing happened.

It alleged that Gen. Attahiru the former Chief of Army staff stopped the funding for NAUB, but was restored at the end.

Pres. Tinubu came with a 2014 backdated Arosanya report and called for merger and it was metted with resistance and nothing happened.

The likes of Kaduna state said who knows Biu that such institution should be located there? Because it divided the power of NDA, Kaduna

The rest of Borno (North and Central) are against any institution that will be more powerful than unimaid

Outsiders have all tried and failed. They are now using one of our own to accomplish their mission with Hon. Betara bill to repeal NAUB and establish Federal University Biu. And we are still blind to it

NAUB that was established in 2018 has graduated 3 sets of students, with thousands currently enrolled? What is their fate?

What is the fate of the 75% civilians that is supposed to constitute part of the university?

NAUB which is 75% civilian is the beacon of hope for the civilians and common
Nigerians to receive specialised training along side other military personels.
It gave civilians a good chance of being employed or recruited into the military, paramilitary, agencies and other force related parastatals.

At least it would end the question of did you attend any miliary or paramilitary institution or received any form of training that has deprived civilians of many chances in Nigeria.
In NAUB Other questions like what is your parents occupation? If military indicate their rank in forms when applying to military schools had ended. The difficulty of securing a high ranking military guarantor to stand in during recruitments was fast becoming a question of the past.

The movers of this conversion motion after a failed merger move are so bewitched that they tried to reduce a university not to an institute, not to a college but to a faculty in NDA have now made moves for its conversion. If converted it will become fully civillians and end every possible chances of close interaction between the military and civilians

This is a clarion call to all representatives and senators of Borno, North East Nigeria and all well meaning Nigerians to rise up and defend such an institution that is capable of taking us to achieve the “NIGERIAN DREAM” where security and welfare of the people is the primary aim of government and the people can see it manifested through military and civilian cooperation that will be brought about over the years by NAUB. It takes both military and civilians to provide Security in a country, hence the need for NAUB.

Nigerians are humbly calling for an end of this conversion move. Let NAUB operate and function independently like all other institutions. If Hon. Betara wants a Federal University, let him enact a new independent bill, no conversion, no repeal, no merger.

No merger, No repeal, no conversion of NAUB. This is the eroding of legacies of Former Pres. Buhari, Gen. Buratai, Sen. Ndume and well meaning Nigerians that fought tirelessly for its establishment and the re-writing of history.

Written By:
Dr. Yawutama Emmanuel Amaza
Nigerian Patriot