By Seyi Babalola
Nigeria established its first university before independence, and the number of institutions has steadily increased since then. It is no longer the responsibility of the government alone, but also of private citizens.
The objective has always been to accommodate the country’s increasing need for advanced education.
These pioneering schools paved the way for today’s universities and polytechnics, creating the country’s first generations of academics, engineers, administrators, etc.
Daily Sun brings to you the 5 oldest universities in Nigeria:
1. University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo—1948
The University of Ibadan, which was founded in 1948, metamorphosed from the Yaba Higher College.
University College Ibadan was founded as an associate of the University of London, providing speciality instruction and research in the arts, sciences, and medicine.
It admitted its first class of 89 students and awarded University of London degrees.
With the attainment of full university status in 1962, it became the University of Ibadan, Nigeria’s oldest degree-granting institution.
2. University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State—1960
The University of Nigeria was founded in response to a desire to build a university in Nigeria’s eastern region.
A statute in favour of this objective was approved on May 18, 1955, and the university was formally inaugurated on October 7, 1960.
3. Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife—1961
Obafemi Awolowo University, which was founded in 1962 as the University of Ife, was the brainchild of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
It was renamed Obafemi Awolowo University on May 12, 1987.
The decision to build the university was made in response to Westerners’ concerns about the need for a higher education institution to accommodate their large number of secondary school leavers at the time.
The reason for the movement was the then-Ashby Commission’s proposal to create more universities in Northern and Eastern Nigeria without taking the West into account.
4. Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna—1962
Ahmadu Bello University has its origins at Kano’s School of Arab Studies.
The Northern area improved the institution, naming it Ahmadu Bello University for Arabic and Islamic Studies after the region’s prominent political leader, Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello.
This occurred before the execution of the Ashby Commission Report’s recommendations to establish more institutions to suit the country’s academic demands.
However, the Ashby Commission report suggestions provided greater guidance, and it was eventually chosen to establish the University of Northern Nigeria in Zaria (rather than Kano).
The law establishing the new university was passed by the Northern Region legislature in 1961.
It was decided to name the university after Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the Northern region
5. University of Lagos—1962
The University of Lagos was established as part of Nigeria’s effort to invest in the training of a professional workforce that will aid in the country’s fast industrialisation and growth following independence.
The unavoidable necessity to construct new institutions to achieve this aim aided the founding of the University of Lagos.