University History Series

UNIVERSITY HISTORY SERIES: S01E01

HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA:

          The University of Nigeria, Nuskka (Commonly called UNN for short) Is a federal University located in Nsukka, Enugu state in  Nigeria. Established in 1955 by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe as part of a higher institution program.  It was the first fully fledged indigenous university and also the first autonomous university in Nigeria. 

          The University has a number of famous graduates and notable alumni like Professor Chinua Achebe, Dora akunyili, and ike ikweremadu. In Nigeria, It is currently one of the most sought-after universities in the country.

           Ranked as the the 4th best University in Nigeria and 1389th in the world by Webometrics, Their Motto is to (restore the dignity of man).

          The ashby Commission(set up by the british colonial government  it was formed in April 1959, with the mandate to conduct an investigation into Nigeria's needs in the Area of higher education and standards.) made an advocacy for a law to be passed for Universities to be developed  in the Northern and Eastern regions of Nigeria. The recommendation would later lead to a series of suggestions and thoughts by several easterners on the proposed university.   The premier of the eastern region at that time, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was at the helm of affairs. Soon a request would be sent to the United states and United Kingdom To foresee development of the project.

         Under the joint auspices of the Inter-University Council for Higher Education and Overseas and the International Co-operation Administration (now the United States Agency for International Development), came to Nigeria in 1958. The team investigated a great variety of factors pertinent to the establishment of a new university.

     The Opening of the University took place on October 7th  1960, In succession to the Nigerian independence celebrations in the Eastern Region and Nigeria as a whole. Her Royal Highness, Princess Alexandra of Kent, representing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the Nigerian independence celebrations, performed the opening ceremonies and laid the foundation stone of one of the University's early buildings.

      The university was fully autonomous, with the power to grant its own degrees. Technically speaking, therefore, it became the first fully-fledged university in Nigeria, since the university of Ibadan was still at that time a university college granting London degrees. The University College Ibadan, the oldest university institution, cut its umbilical cord with London in October 1962, becoming theUniversity of Ibadan. In July 1965, it turned out the first graduates holding Ibadan (rather than London) degrees, by which time Nsukka had produced two crops of graduates and taken all the publicity for turning out the first graduates of an autonomous Nigerian university. 

      In 1967, It was temporarily known as the University of Biafra, Following the events of the Nigerian Civil war.

      At the time of the post, the current vice chancellor is Professor Benjamin Ozumba.

                            

That's all for today, so check out other Universities.

What Do you think about the History Of UNN? Share your thoughts in the Comment section.