First university in Nigeria: Top 10 oldest universities in Nigeria

Nigeria established its first institution of higher education (universities) in 1948 to bring innovation to the country, seeing the educational sector as a tool for speedy development.

Since the invention of the early institution, the government has created hundreds of its kind that are highly rated among African universities, some even higher than its predecessors.

In 1962, the Nigerian government went further to strengthen the educational sector with the creation of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to promote quality education. The NUC has overseen the accreditation of universities, including establishing faculties in every university in Nigeria and checking universities' standards before issuing approval to them.

On this page, Clacified has put together the pioneer universities established in Nigeria in our list of the top 10 oldest universities in Nigeria to help you keep track of the origin of university education in Nigeria.

Some of these oldest universities are owned by the federal government, while others are state-owned and private institutions. It is also worth noting that some of these universities are equally ranked among the best universities in Nigeria according to NUS rankings.

Below is the list of the top 10 oldest universities in Nigeria, their locations, and their faculties.

 1. University of Ibadan (UI)

The University of Ibadan is the first and oldest university in Nigeria. The federal university was established in 1948 under the affiliation of the University of London. Though it was established in 1948, UI became an independent university in 1962 and has since then improved further to become one of the top universities in Africa.

According to the national university commission's (NUC) ranking, UI is the best federal university and university in Nigeria.

The University of Ibadan has 72 departments organized into 17 faculties and offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

 Faculties at the University of Ibadan

1. Faculty of Arts
2. Faculty of Agriculture
3. Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences
4. Faculty of Clinical Sciences
5. Faculty of Science
6. Social Sciences
7. Faculty of Education
8. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
9. Faculty of Pharmacy
10. Faculty of Technology
11. Faculty of Law
12. Faculty of Public Health
13. Faculty of Dentistry
14. Faculty of Environmental Design and Management
15. Multidisciplinary Studies
16. Renewable Natural Resources
17. Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies

 2. University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN)

The University of Nigeria also know as UNN was founded in 1955 and ranks as the second-oldest university in Nigeria. It is also the ninth-best university in Nigeria.

The university is located in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria, but it has other four campuses in Enugu (UNEC), Ituku-Ozalla (UNTH), and Aba (UNAC).

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, is one of Nigeria's most well-known higher education institutions. The federal university has produced several dignitaries in Nigeria, including Peter Obi, Charles Soludo, and many others, holding one of the top positions in the country.

The University of Nigeria has over 1,519 staff, 36,000 students and over 102 departments organized into 17 faculties, offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

 Faculties at the University of Nigeria

The faculties at the University of Nigeria are:

1. Agriculture
2. Arts
3. Basic Medical Sciences
4. Biological Sciences
5. Business Administration
6. Dentistry
7. Education
8. Engineering
9. Environmental Studies
10. Health Sciences
11. Law
12. Medical Science
13. Pharmaceutical Sciences
14. Social Sciences
15. Physical Sciences
16. Veterinary Medicine
17. Vocational Technical Education

 3. Babcock University

Many people may be surprised to see Babcock University on the list of the top ten oldest universities in Nigeria because it is a private university. Babcock University was established in 1959 in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria, under the umbrella of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

According to NUC's ranking, the Christian private university is among the best universities in Nigeria. It is also highly rated among African universities and thus also comes off as the fourth-best private university in Nigeria.

The private university started with four schools but has grown to nine faculties with several departments.

 Babcock University's schools/colleges

Below is a list of faculties, schools, and colleges at Babcock university:

1. School of Medicine
2. Computing and Engineering Sciences
3. Education and Humanities
4. Law and Security Studies
5. Management Sciences
6. School of Nursing Sciences
7. Public and Allied Health
8. Faculty of Science And Technology
9. School of Social Sciences

 4. Obafemi Awolowo University (OUA)

Obafemi Awolowo University, formerly known as the University of Ife, is the fourth-oldest university in Nigeria. It is a public university that was established in 1962.

The university is in the city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, in the western part of Nigeria. It is the largest university in Nigeria, covering over 11,862 hectares of land.

Obafemi Awolowo University is one of the most renowned institutions of higher learning in Nigeria, ranking 8th among the top universities in the country.

OAU, as it is also called, is known as one of the best universities in Nigeria in terms of research and has pioneered the development of many innovative ideas in Nigeria, including the resuscitation and modernization of the traditional bronze-casting technology. It was the first university to build an iLab in Africa.

The federal university has over 35,000 students and offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

 Obafemi Awolowo University's faculties

At the time of this writing, there are 13 faculties at Obafemi Awolowo University, namely:

1. Faculty of Administration
2. Faculty of Agriculture
3. Faculty of Arts
4. Faculty of Education
5. Faculty of Environmental Design and management
6. Faculty of Basic Medical Science
7. Faculty of Clinical Science
8. Faculty of Dentistry
9. Faculty of Law
10. Faculty of Pharmacy
11. Faculty of Sciences
12. Faculty of Technology
13. Faculty of Social Sciences

 5. Ahmadu Bello University (ABU)

Ahmadu Bello University is the pioneer of universities in northern Nigeria. The federal university was established in Zaria, Kaduna State, on October 4, 1962.

Ahmadu Bello University is a research university named after the former Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, as the first man to hold the chieftaincy position.

The university boasts one of the largest teaching hospitals in Nigeria and Africa, the ABU Teaching Hospital. It has two campuses: one in Samaru, the main campus, and one in Kongo, in Zaria.

Ahmadu Bello University also boasts a standard library with over 1.2 million books and over 60,000 periodicals. The university offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

 Ahmadu Bello University's faculties

At the time of this writing, Ahmadu Bello University has over 12 faculties and a college of medicine. They are:

1. Faculty of Administration
2. Faculty of Agriculture
3. Faculty of Arts
4. Faculty of Education
5. Faculty of Engineering
6. Faculty of Environmental Design
7. Faculty of Law
8. Faculty of Life Science
9. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
10. Faculty of Physical Science
11. Faculty of Social Sciences
12. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

 Faculties in Ahmadu Bello University's college of medicine

There are five faculties at Ahmadu Bello University's college of medicine, namely:

• Faculty of Basic Medical Science
• Faculty of Basic Clinical Science
• Faculty of Clinical Science
• Faculty of Dentistry
• Faculty of Allied Health Sciences.

 6. University of Lagos (UNILAG)

The University of Lagos was founded two years after Nigeria gained independence (in 1962). The federal research university is the sixth-oldest university in Nigeria.

It is ranked 7th among the best universities in Nigeria and highly rated among African universities. The University of Lagos is one of the most populous institutions of higher education in Nigeria, with about 62,215 students.

UNILAG, as it is popularly called, has three different campuses: the main campus at Akoka and the other two at Yaba and Surulere.

The institution offers 110 undergraduate and 129 postgraduate programs in several faculties.

 University of Lagos' faculties

UNILAG presently has 12 distinguished faculties, namely

• Faculty of Arts
• Faculty of Basic Medical Science
• Faculty of Business Administration
• Faculty of Clinical Sciences
• Faculty of Dental Sciences
• Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Engineering
• Faculty of Environmental Science
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Pharmacy
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Faculty of Management Sciences

 7. University of Benin (UNIBEN)

The University of Benin is another popular university in Nigeria and is also among the pioneer universities in Nigeria. The University of Benin is a federal university that was established in 1970.

The university has two campuses, with the main campus in Ugbowo and the second at Ekehuan in the city of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria.

Uniben is one of the many universities in Nigeria that offer online education, making videos, abstracts, and journals available for its students.

The public research university has 39,995 students across 15 faculties, with over 80 courses available for undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

 University of Benin's faculties

At the time of this writing, the University of Benin has over 15 faculties, namely:

• Agriculture
• Arts
• Basic Medical Sciences
• Education
• Law
• Engineering
• Environmental Science
• Social Science
• Life Science
• School of Dentistry
• Management Science
• Medicine
• Pharmacy
• Physical Science
• Veterinary Science

 8. University of Jos (UNIJOS)

The University of Jos is the second university built in the northern part of Nigeria that is on our list of the top 10 oldest universities in Nigeria. The federal university began as a campus of the University of Ibadan before becoming independent in 1971, pronounced by former Nigerian head of state Murtala Mohammed.

The university, also known as UniJos, is in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Unijos offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs in various departments organized into 12 faculties.

 University of Jos' colleges/faculties

The faculties at the University of Jos are:

• Faculty of Agriculture
• Faculty of Arts
• College of Health Sciences
• Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Engineering
• Faculty of Environmental Sciences
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Management
• Faculty of Natural Sciences
• Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

 9. University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT)

The University of Port Harcourt was established in 1975 but gained its university status in 1977. It is a public university located in the Port Harcourt city of Rivers State, Nigeria.

The university was once ranked as the sixth-best university in Africa in 2015 by Times Higher Education but has dropped to rank 49th among the best universities in Nigeria in 2022.

In 1982, the higher education institution changed from a school system to a faculty system after establishing seven different schools. Presently, the University of Port Harcourt has 12 faculties offering degree and master's programs.

 University of Port Harcourt's faculties

The faculties at the University of Port Harcourt are:

• Faculty of Humanities
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Engineering
• Faculty of Management Sciences
• Faculty of Agriculture
• Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Faculty of Dentistry
• Faculty of Law
• College of Continuing Education
• College of Health Sciences

 10. University of Calabar (UNICAL)

The University of Calabar is the last on the list of Nigeria's top ten oldest universities. It shares the same year of establishment as the University of Port Harcourt, founded in 1975.

It is a federal university between the Qua River and the Calabar River in Cross River State, Nigeria. It was initially used as a campus for the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

The university holds several affiliations with different institutions, such as:

• Nigerian Christian Bible Church
• Essien Ukpabio Presbyterian College Itu, Akwa Ibom State
• Reformed Theological Seminary, Mkar
• College of Education, Katsina-Ala, Benue State
• Catholic Institute of West Africa, Port-Harcourt
• Federal College of Education, Obudu, Cross River State

Unical, which started with 406 students in the faculties of arts, science, and social science, currently has over 40,645 students at the time of this writing.

 University of Calabar's faculties

The University of Calabar has 19 faculties, namely:

• Agric, Forestry, and Wildlife Resource Management
• Allied Medical Science
• Arts
• Arts and Social Science Education
• Basic Medical Sciences
• Basic Clinical Sciences
• Biological Sciences
• College of Medical Sciences
• Clinical Sciences
• Dentistry
• Educational Foundation Studies
• Engineering and Technology
• Environmental Sciences
• Law
• Management Sciences
• Oceanography
• Medical Lab Science
• Pharmacy
• Physical Sciences
• Social Sciences

 Conclusion

While there are many universities in Nigeria today, the above list only shows the oldest universities in Nigeria, how they started, and other pertinent details. Clacified's goal here is to promote history and educate undergraduates on some of the historical relevance behind their schools.