Last Updated on October 15, 2022 by Spynaija
In this article, we will be walking you through the top 10 oldest universities in Nigeria, some of these universities date back even before Nigeria’s independence.
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The Top 10 Oldest Universities In Nigeria
There are a total of 193 universities in Nigeria as of the time of writing this article, the first university in Nigeria can be traced back as far as 1948. In this article, we have listed the first 10 oldest universities in Nigeria, their dates of establishment, admission requirements, and also all the NUC-accredited courses available.
1. University of Ibadan – 1948
The University of Ibadan is the first university in Nigeria. The university was established in 1948, making it the oldest university in Nigeria. It became a full-fledged university in 1962, prior to that it was a college of the University of London in a special relationship scheme in 1932. The university is located in Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria.
The university currently has about 92 academic departments and a student population of about 42,864 spread across its 17 faculties.
In September 2016, the University of Ibadan became the first Nigerian university to be ranked in the top 1000 in the Times Higher Education rankings. Prior to that, it had always made the top 10 African Universities in Webometrics Rankings. the University of Ibadan is currently ranked No. 1 in Nigeria and 1196 in the world according to Webometrics.
Click Here To See All NUC-accredited University Of Ibadan Courses and their requirements
The university of Ibadan’s notable alumni include; Prof. Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and many more.
2. University of Nigeria, Nsukka – 1955
The University of Nigeria Nsukka is the first indigenous and independent university in Nigeria. Located in Nsukka, Enugu State Nigeria, UNN was established in 1955 with a total of four (4) campuses namely; Nsukka, Enugu, Ituku-ozalla, and Aba. The Aba campus serves as a base for the Institute of Nigerian Languages.
UNN began academic activities on 17th December 1960 with a total of 220 students and 13 academic staff to lecture the pioneer students. The origin of the university can be traced back to 18th May 1955 when a law was enacted to establish a university in the eastern region of the country. The premier of the region at that time, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was a pivoted figure in the enactment of this law.
Click Here To See The List Of Courses Offered At the University Of Nigeria
The University of Nigeria’s notable alumni includes; Ike Ekweremadu, Dora Akunyili, Peter Obi, Charles Soludo, Chris Ngige, and many more.
3. Obafemi Awolowo University -1961
OAU as it is fondly called was formerly known as the University of Ife. OAU was founded in 1961, in Osun State, Nigeria. The university was renamed in 1987 in honor of Chief Obafemi Awolowo who was the first premier of the western region, the decision to establish the university was due to several reasons, one of which was to fix some of the inadequacies of the premier university which is the University of Ibadan UI.
At that time UI had no faculty of Engineering, Law School, Management Training School, and Pharmacy School. Obafemi Awolowo University started the first Pharmacy School in West Africa and also the first Chemical Engineering and Electrical & Electronics departments. The university currently has over 60 academic departments. The university was once affiliated with Loma University in the United States.
OAU’s notable alumni include; Lai Mohammed, Kayode Fayemi, Femi Adesina, Femi Otedola, and many more.
Click Here To See The List Of Courses Offered At the Obafemi Awolowo University
4. Ahmadu Bello University – 1962
ABU Zaria as it is fondly called was formerly known as the University of Northern Nigeria. ABU was established on 14th October 1962, There were only two (2), Nigerian lecturers, at the time of establishment, most of the lecturers then were British. The university has two (2) campuses in Samaru and Kongo.
The main campus is Samaru. In honour of a distinguished citizen, the university is named after the first premier of northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello. The university has one of the largest teaching hospitals in Nigeria. The university admitted a total of 462 students into the 15 departments dispatched across the 4 facilities when established.
Click Here To See The List Of Courses Offered At the Ahmadu Bello University
ABU’s notable alumni include; Dino Melaye, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Nuhu Ribadu, and many more.
5. University of Lagos – 1962
Number five (5) on our list of the oldest universities in Nigeria is the University of Lagos. UNILAG, as it is fondly called was established in 1962, two years after Nigeria’s independence, the university has one of the highest enrolments in the country, having enrolled over 57,000 students since established.
The university has two (2) campuses with the main campus located in Akoka and the medical campus located in Idi-Araba, Lagos State. The university has a total of 13 facilities and currently offers undergraduate programs and post-graduate & distance learning programs to its students.
UNILAG’s notable alumni include; Akinwunmi Ambode, Wale Adenuga, Funke Akindele, and many more.
Click Here To See The List Of Courses Offered At the University Of Lagos
6. University of Benin -1970
The University of Benin, UNIBEN as it is fondly called is located in the ancient city of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria. UNIBEN was first established as an Institute of Technology in 1970. On July 1st, 1971 UNIBEN was accredited by the National University Commission (NUC) and accorded the status of a full-fledged university. On April 1st, 1975, at the State Government’s request, the university was taken over by the Nigerian federal government.
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7. University of Maiduguri, Borno – 1975
The University of Maiduguri, UNIMAID as it is fondly called was established in 1975 by the Nigerian federal government. Located in Borno State Nigeria, The University of Maiduguri currently boasts of an estimated student population of around 36,500 students spread across its 12 faculties.
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8. University of Calabar – 1975
The University of Calabar, UNICAL as it is fondly called was a campus of the University of Nigeria up until 1975 when it was formally declared an autonomous university. UNICAL is located in Calabar, the Cross River State capital. The University of Calabar is the first Nigerian University to automate students’ registration processes through its portal in Nigeria.
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9. University of Jos -1975
The University of Jos, UNIJOS was first established as a satellite campus of the University of Ibadan in November 1971. UNIJOS is located in Jos, Plateau State Nigeria. The then military government under General Murtala Mohhamed established UNIJOS as a full-fledged university in October 1975.
Lectures began fully in October 1976, exactly one year after, with 575 students spread across its four (4) faculties. UNIJOS currently boasts of an estimated student population of about 30,000 with 14 faculties.
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10. University of Ilorin -1975
Number ten (10) on our list of the oldest universities in Nigeria is the University of Ilorin, UNILORIN, as it is fondly called, is located in Kwara State, Nigeria. The University of Ilorin was initially established as a university college affiliated with the University of Ibadan.
In October 1977, the University of Ilorin attained full autonomous status with the appointment of Professor O.O Akinkugbe as the first-ever Vice-Chancellor of the institution. On 23rd October 1976 The university opened its doors to the first set of 200 students who were admitted following an entrance examination, academic activities started on 25th October 1976.
Kindly click here to see all the available courses at UNILORIN
Conclusion
In this article, we listed the top 10 oldest universities in Nigeria and some valuable information for prospective students. Has this article provided an 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.