Obafemi Awolowo University, formerly known as University of Ife, is a federal government owned and operated Nigerian university. The university is in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
In respect to all student and graduate of the very great institution :
Great Ife Anthem
Great Ife! Great Ife!
Africa's most beautiful campus.
Conscious, vigilant, progressive
Aluta against all oppression
Forward ever, backward never
For learning and culture, sports and struggle
Great Ife! I love you
There's only one Great Ife in the universe
Another Great Ife is a counterfeit
Great! Great! Great! Great! Great!
The university was founded in 1961 and classes commenced in October 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 12 May 1987 in honour of Chief Obafemi Awolowo (1909–1987), first premier of the Western Region of Nigeria, whose brainchild the university was.
Brief History
In 1951, with the adoption of a new constitution, there came major changes within the regions which meant elected legislators and regional premiers.
The new regional governments proceeded to make expansion of primary and secondary education a policy priority. An underlying purpose of these expansion was the view that education was an important agent of transformation and development. In 1959, the Federal Minister of Education created a commission to research the country's future manpower needs of university graduates specifically for the years between 1960 and 1980.
The commission was headed by a Cambridge lecturer, Eric Ashby , master at Clare College, Cambridge and also included a labor economist, Frederick H. Harbison . However, the expectation of the commission's final report by the Western regional government was
University of Ibadan will satisfy the needs of the Western region, a position, the government disagreed on.
Even before a final report was submitted in October 1960, the Western government began preparations for the establishment of a university within the region.
The decision to establish the University of Ife (popularly referred to as "Great Ife") by the ruling Action Group party of the Western Region of Nigeria was in protest at the recommendations of the Ashby Report.
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. The government of the western region did not want to rely on the federal universities or those of other regions to admit its numerous secondary school leavers.
The protest of the foundation of the University at Ife was not only in rebuttal to the perceived politicization of higher iteducation opportunities in Nigeria and the western region but was also designed to fill the gaps in the manpower needs.
In October 1960, 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.
A minority report that was accepted by the government recommended a new university within the Western region and facilities of the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Ibadan was provided to the region. In 1961, a vote establishing the Provisional Council of the University was passed in 1961 by the Western Regional Assembly.
The final site chosen, a 13,000 acre land was donated by the people of Ile-Ife as the location of the proposed university. The first financial grant provided for the takeoff of the university was £250,000 from the Western regional government.
Indeed, when it comes to campus beauty and serenity in Nigeria, a magnificent West African estate, the OAU, comfortable sits on top.
With a perfect blend of inspiring architecture and nature, the university is overlooked by a touristic mountain from where the Nigerian academic giant can be viewed in a glance.
The planning of the school is such that there are special designated areas for academics, hostels, sports, banking, markets, staff quarters, a university farm etc.
Rumor has it that this citadel of learning is well on its way (if it already hasn't) to generate her own independent power supply that will help boost adequate research activities. This is expected to translate into better global ranking for the university in the coming years.
The University, which also has produced numerous notable alumni including the current president of the African Development Bank, Akinwunmi Adesina, is perhaps the only one such in the country where some form of space research takes place.
These are some random aerial and other pictures from "Great Ife" as it is fondly called.
Indeed Great it is.
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