Obafemi Awolowo University

Obafemi Awolowo University
Obafemi Awolowo University Seal
Motto	For Learning and Culture
Established	1962
Type	Public
Vice-Chancellor	Professor Idowu Bamitale Omole
Students	about 20,000
Location	Ile-Ife, Osun, Nigeria
Colours	Midnight Blue and Gold
Website	www.oauife.edu.ng

Obafemi Awolowo University is a government-owned and -operated Nigerian university. The university is in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1962 as the University of Ife by the regional government of Western Nigeria led by late chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola and was renamed Obafemi Awolowo University on May 12, 1987 in honour of Chief Obafemi Awolowo (1909–1987), the first Nigerian premier of the Western Region of Nigeria.

History

The decision to establish the University of Ife by the ruling Action Group party of the Western Region of Nigeria was in protest at the recommendations of the Ashby commission. The first Nigerian university was established in 1948 at Ibadan, in the western region as an external college of the university of London. However, the needs of Nigeria (then a British colony) far outstripped the productivity of the only university. In particular the University College at Ibadan had no faculty of engineering or technology, no law school, no pharmacy school or management training abilities. The Ashby commission, set up by the British, was to review tertiary education needs of the soon-to-be-independent nation of Nigeria.

In 1959, the Ashby commission recommended additional (regional) universities in the northern and eastern regions of Nigeria and another federal university in the Lagos protectorate, but none in the more educationally advanced western region which had a 'free and universal primary education' program. The government of the western region did not want to rely on the federal universities or those of other regions to admit its populous secondary school leavers.

The protest of the foundation of the university at Ife was not only in rebuttal to the perceived politicization of higher education opportunities in Nigeria and the western region but was also designed to fill the gaps in the manpower needs.

Ife started the first Faculty of Pharmacy in West Africa, the first Department of Chemical Engineering and the first Electronics component in addition to Electrical Engineering. Its medical school started with an integrated curriculum and community orientation (which was later adopted by the World Health Organization) and a compulsory baccalaureate (BSc honours) before entrance to the clinical school, but this was later jettisoned.

Academics

Obafemi Awolowo University offers undergraduate and post-graduate programmes in fields of specialization spanning the humanities, the arts, the natural sciences, the social sciences, the medical sciences, engineering and technology.

The university has 13 faculties and two colleges — the Postgraduate College and the College of Health Sciences — administered in more than 60 departments.

Staff

See also: Category:Obafemi Awolowo University faculty

The first vice-chancellor of the new university was Professor Oladele Ajose (MD, PhD) a Glasgow University graduate and Nigeria's first professor of public health recruited from the University of Ibadan. He served from 1962 to 1966, until political upheavals and military coups led him to be replaced. The second vice-chancellor was Professor HA Oluwasanmi who served from 1966 to 1975. The newly appointed vice-chancellor, Professor Idowu Bamitale Omole, a professor of International Relations appointment takes effect from June 24, 2011 and his tenure expires in 2016.

Nigeria's only Nobel prize winner (in literature), Wole Soyinka, served as professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Ife. At the close of last millennium, he was appointed an emeritus professor of Dramatic Arts at the university.

Stephen Adebanji Akintoye served as Director of the Institute of African Studies from 1974-1977.

Campus and student life

The motto of the university is "For learning and culture". However, owing to the rigorous and exacting academic standards, students^[who?] have parodied this motto to "For learning and torture".

In terms of research productivity, Ife is ranked as the most productive university in Nigeria by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and by Shanghai University world rankings as it relates to Africa. Ife has attracted young Nigerian students because, for a long time, it had no lower age limit for admission.

Enrollment is about 12,000 for undergraduates and 6,000 for graduate studies. The major halls of undergraduate residences for males are Fajuyi, Awolowo, Angola and E.T.F. For women, halls of residence are Moremi, Ladoke Akintola, Alumni and Mozambique. Muritala Muhammed Hall is for postgraduates.

The university is endowed with beautiful architecture^{[citation needed]} and an eye-catching landscape built on about 5,000 acres (20 km²) of a total of 13,000 acres (53 km²) of the land owned by the university. It is however by no means "Africa's most beautiful campus" as students and staff are always wont to claim.^{[citation needed]}

Halls of Resident

Ile-Ife campus is built on about 5,000 acres (20 km²) of a total of 13,000 acres (53 km²) university owned land. Its halls of residence include:

• Awolowo Hall
• Angola Hall
• Alumni Hall
• ETF Hall
• Fajuyi Hall
• Ladoke Akintola Hall
• Moremi Hall
• Mozambique Hall
• Murtala Muhammed Hall

Notable alumni

See also: Category:Obafemi Awolowo University alumni

• Ibiyinka Alao, artist^[1]
• Dizzy K Falola, singer^[2]
• Abiodun Adesanya
• Dominic Oneya, former Kano state governor
• Lukman Omotayo Bello
• Dr Segun Mimiko, Ondo state governor
• Rev.(Dr) Soji Falae, Builder, QS, Computer Systems Analyst & Construction Management Consultant
• Fidelis Oyakhilome, former Rivers state governor
• Osonye Tess Onwueme, writer and professor
• Dr Festus Oluseyi Oderanti (Researcher at Newcastle University Business School)

The university has alumni groups outside Nigeria, the foremost being the Great Ife Alumni Association of the United States, headquartered in Houston, Texas, which spearheaded the now-traditional biennial reunions of the alumni for the primary purpose of raising funds for the development of the alma mater.

See also

	Nigeria portal
	University portal

• Obafemi Awolowo University massacre
• Awolowo Hall
• Angola Hall

References

1. ^ "Nigeria's World Best Artist Visits United States." Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Washington, D.C. 25 April 2002. Retrieved on 3 January 2009.
2. ^ Adeniji, Olayiwola (2002-04-26). "For Dizzy K, a Centre of Joy". Africa News Service. 

External links

• Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
• GREAT IFE Social Network for the Alumni, current students and staff
• Great Ife Alumni Association, U.S.A. - Houston, Texas

Coordinates: 7°28′N 4°34′E / 7.467°N 4.567°E / 7.467; 4.567