The University of Ibadan (UI) is a public research university in Ibadan, Nigeria. The university was once a college of the University of London. The college was established in 1948 as University College Ibadan, one of many colleges within the University of London.[2] It became an independent university in 1962 and is the oldest degree-awarding institution in Nigeria. Through its graduate network, the University of Ibadan has contributed to the political, industrial, economic and cultural development of Nigeria.
Gate of University of Ibadan
History
The opening of Sultan Bello Hall by Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, University College Ibadan, on Second February 1962 (Kenneth Dike to the left, Ahmadu Bello to the right)
The history of the university is tied to the University of London. It was established in 1948 as the University College Ibadan (a college of the University of London), which supervised its academic programmes and awarded degrees until 1967.[3][4][5] The establishment came as a result of a recommendation from the Asquith and the Elliot Commissions on Higher Education in the then British colonies, that two University Colleges of the University of London be set up in Ghana[6] and Nigeria.[7] Before 1948, Yaba College had been founded in 1932 in Yaba, Lagos, as the first tertiary educational institute in Nigeria, focused primarily on providing post-secondary vocational education and teacher training to Africans.
However, the limited aims of Yaba College[8] and clamour by Nigerian nationalists for self-improvement and uninhibited education led to the establishment of University College Ibadan as the first degree-awarding institution in Nigeria in 1948.[9] Staff and students from Yaba Higher College were transferred to Ibadan to form the new University College Ibadan.[10]
Modelled after the British university system, Kenneth Mellanby was appointed in 1947 as its first principal, and he started the university college on 18 January 1948.[11] The sod of its permanent site was cut on 17 November 1948, and the date is now known as Founders' Day. The university's first buildings were designed by eminent modernist architects Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew.[12] Following the tropical modernist style, the 1950s construction comprised administrative blocks, residential colleges and academic facilities.[13]
Following Nigeria's independence in 1960 and the subsequent drive to domesticate several institutions, UCI became an established full-fledged independent university in early 1962 and thus, the name changed to University of Ibadan.[14]
In late 1963, on the university playing fields, with a celebration marked by talking drums, the Rt. Hon. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the first Prime Minister of independent Nigeria, became the first Chancellor of this independent university. The first Nigerian vice-chancellor of the university was Kenneth Dike, after whom the university library is named.[15]
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships)
Professor Oluyemisi A. Bamgbose
The university is made up of 92 academic departments organized into 17 faculties, namely; Arts, Science, Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Agriculture, the Social Sciences, Education, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy, Technology, Law, Public Health, Dentistry, Economics and Management Sciences, all Renewable Natural Resources, Environmental Design and Management, and Multidisciplinary Studies. The Faculties of the Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Public Health and Dentistry are organized as a College of Medicine. The university has other academic units, among which are: Institute of Child Health, Institute of Education, Institute of African Studies, Centre for Child Adolescent and Mental Health, Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI), Institute for Advanced Medical Research and Training (IAMRAT), Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Centre for Drug Discovery, Development & Production (CDDDP) and Centre for Control & Prevention of Zoonosis (CCPZ).[27] The recently established Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), School of Business (UISB) and National Institute for Maternal, Child & Neonatal Health (NIMCNH) have commenced operation.[27]
In August 2011, Ruqayyah Ahmed Rufa'i, the then Nigerian Minister of Education, announced that the University of Ibadan would host the Nigerian node of the Pan-African University, the Institute of Earth and Life Sciences.[38]
A major arm of the College of Medicine (which comprises the faculties of Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Dentistry and Public Health) is located about five kilometres from the main university, within the structure of The University College Hospital. The college has a dormitory, the Alexander Brown Hall for students who are in their clinical years of study. The college was created in August 1980. Some of the past provosts are Oluwole Akande, Isaac Folorunso Adewole, and Akinyinka Omigbodun.[39]
IFRA-Nigeria (Institut français de recherche en Afrique) – an institute funded by the French government to promote research in the social sciences and the humanities and improve collaborative work between academics in France and West Africa.[41]
Among the notable structures in the university is the central Kenneth Dike Library (popularly called "KDL" by the students), located just beside the Faculty of Arts. The library, which has a large capacity for students, contains books relating to virtually all fields of knowledge both in and outside the university community. To ensure easy access, students are made to carry out their library registration in their first year of admission.[56]
The library is named after Professor Kenneth Dike, who was the first indigenous Principal and former Vice-Chancellor of the university. it was established out of the desires of the founding fathers and matriarch of the institution in order to cut a niche for research and sound teaching.[57] Today, the library is ranked favourably among other[spelling?] libraries in the Commonwealth of nations.[58]
The library contains 700,000 volumes of information and more than 1,250 seats for readers. It is open to all senior staff, students of the institution, senior staff of the University College Hospital, (UCH) Ibadan as well as alumni of the university. The library will also admit any outsider with cogent reasons on provision of letter of introduction from a recognized university official (i.e. dean of a faculty, head of department from the visitor's school or director of an organization).
Dispute with Students' Union
Kunle Adepeju, the first student martyr in Nigeria
On 29 May 2017, the management of the school stopped academic activities for undergraduate students. This was as a result of the protest by the student union. The student body was in disagreement with the school authorities over their failure to issue identity cards to the students and the outlaw on some electrical appliances.[59] On 9 June, it was announced that school will be reopened on 20 June.[60] The school resumed activities on 2 July.[61]
The university has educated many notable alumni, including a Nobel Laureate in Literature, eminent mathematicians, scientists, politicians, lawyers, business icons, philosophers, writers, monarchs, countless technocrats, recipients of the Nigerian National Order of Merit and fellows of the various learned academies.[63] In September 2016, it became the first Nigerian university to make the top 1,000 in Times Higher Education rankings. Prior to that, it had always made the top 10 African Universities in Webometrics Rankings.[64][65] UI is currently ranked No. 1 in Nigeria and 1,196 in the world according to Webometrics.[66]
^"Olufunmilayo I. Olopade". AACR. American Association for Cancer Research. 2001. Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
^"Executive Chairman, EFCC". Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. 11 June 2008. Archived from the original on 20 October 2009. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
van den Berghe, Pierre L. (1973). Power and privilege at an African university. With the assistance of Paul Alabi [and others]. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN0710075855.
Teferra, Damtew; Altbach, Philip G., eds. (2003). African higher education: An international reference handbook. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. ISBN978-0-253-34186-0.
Further reading
Tamuno, Tekena N., ed. (1981). Ibadan Voices: Ibadan University in Transition. Ibadan University Press. ISBN978-978-121-109-6.
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