Last Updated on April 15, 2023 by Spynaija
Oftentimes, most university admission seekers prefer the privately-owned universities to that of the government, so many factors contribute to this decision, yes, we can’t dispute the fact that our government-owned institutions are often faced with issues such as incessant academic disruptions by the striking academic lecturers, which ends up truncating the academic span of every student, where a student on a four-year course often ends up graduating in five years or even more which is very inappropriate, there are other factors but this is mostly the primary cause for prospective candidate’s choice of a private university.
However, while choosing a private university, it is important to take into consideration how long the university has been around reason being that, there will be some recorded academic feats and milestones since the time of establishment.
Oldest Private Universities in Nigeria
There are a total of 99 private universities in Nigeria as of the time of writing this article, the first private university in Nigeria can be traced back as far as 1999. In this article, we have listed the top 10 oldest private universities in Nigeria, their dates of establishment, admission requirements, and also all the NUC-accredited courses available. We earlier listed the top 10 Cheapest Private Universities in Nigeria and their school fees, you might want to have a read as well.
1. Madonna University (1999)
Madonna University is the First Private University in Nigeria. Madonna University was established on 10th May 1999 in Okija, Anambra State by Very Rev. Fr. Prof. EMP. Edeh CSSP OFR, making it the first private university in Nigeria. Madonna University is also the first private/catholic university in Nigeria.
Madonna University commenced full Academic Programmes in 1999. In 2004, under the approval of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Madonna University’s main campus was moved to Elele in Rivers State, Nigeria. It is worth stressing that, Madonna University is the First Private University to be approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria, contrary to what is written on other websites, this can also be confirmed from the institution’s official website. Click HERE to see all the courses and admission requirements at Madonna University.
2. Babcock University (1999)
Babcock University is the second private university in Nigeria. Babcock University is located in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria. Babcock University was first established as the Adventist College of West Africa (ACWA) in 1959, the university council was officially inaugurated on April 20, 1999, and was duly accredited by the National University Commission as a full-fledged university. Click HERE to see all the courses and admission requirements at Babcock University
3. Igbenedion University (1999)
On March 13TH 1995, Chief (Sir) Dr. Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin Kingdom,
inaugurated a seven (7) manned planning committee comprising distinguished scholars and seasoned University administrators whose sole responsibilities amongst others included the formulation of the Academic Brief for the actualization of the Igbinedion University. With the committee’s dedication and feasible results, an implementation committee was immediately constituted by Chief Igbinedion on 12th May 1999.
Igbinedion University opened its doors for academic activities and also admitted its first pioneer students on 15th October 1999. Click HERE to see all the courses and admission requirements at Igbinedion University
4. Bowen University (2001)
Bowen University is located in Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria. Bowen University was established on 17 July 2001, making it one of the oldest private universities in Nigeria. Bowen University is owned and managed by the Nigerian Baptist Convention. The university has an estimated student population of around 6,343 students as of the time of writing this article. Click HERE to see all the courses and admission requirements at Bowen University
5. Pan-Atlantic University (2002)
Pan-Atlantic University was first established as the Lagos Business School (LBS) in 1991 until its approval by the Nigerian federal government as the Pan-African University in 2002, and the Lagos Business School (LBS) became its first school. Click HERE to see all the courses and admission requirements at Pan-Atlantic University.
6. Benson Idahosa University (2002)
Benson Idahosa University is a faith-based (Christian) privately-owned university, located in Benin City, Nigeria. Benson Idahosa University was established in February 2002, by the founder of Church of God Mission International, Archbishop Benson Idahosa who was popularly referred to as the father of Pentecostalism in Nigeria.
Benson Idahosa University is the only university in Africa with international membership with the United States National Academy of Inventors. Click HERE to see all the courses and admission requirements at Benson Idahosa University
7. Covenant University (2002)
Covenant University (CU) is a private faith-based (Christian) university located in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. Covenant University was established on 21st October 2002. It is affiliated with Living Faith Church Worldwide and is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, Association of African Universities, and National Universities Commission.
In January 2015, Covenant University was ranked as the best university in Nigeria according to Webometrics, a ranking system for the world’s universities based on a composite indicator that takes into account both the volume of the Web content (number of web pages and files) and the visibility and impact of these web publications according to the number of external links (site citations) they received. Covenant University is still ranked as the best private university in Nigeria as of the time of writing this article. Click HERE to see all the courses and admission requirements at Covenant University
8. American University of Nigeria (2004)
American University of Nigeria (AUN) is located in Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria. The American University of Nigeria was founded in 2004 by a former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar. The university offers an American style of tertiary education at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels. Click HERE to see all the courses and admission requirements at the American University of Nigeria.
9. Ajayi Crowther University (2005)
Ajayi Crowther University is located in Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria. On 7th September 1999, the Church of Nigeria granted the St. Andrews College Old Boys Association (SACOBA) request for the establishment of Ajayi Crowther University. Having satisfied all the criteria prescribed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) for the establishment of Universities in Nigeria, Ajayi Crowther University (ACU) was granted the license to operate as a private university in Nigeria on 7th January 2005, making it one of the oldest private universities in Nigeria. Click HERE to see all the courses and admission requirements at Ajayi Crowther University.
10. Al-Hikma University (2005)
Al-Hikmah University is a faith-based (Islamic) university. Al-Hikmah University is an Islamic university located in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. The institution was founded in 2005 by the AbdulRaheem Oladimeji Islamic Foundation (AROIF) based in Nigeria and the World Assembly of Muslim Youths (WAMY) based in Jeddah. Click HERE to see all the courses and admission requirements at Al-Hikmah University.
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Conclusion
Above, are the oldest private universities in Nigeria, has this article provided the answer(s) to your query? if yes, leave a comment in the comment box to express your satisfaction or ask any question you have and we will reply to you as soon as possible.