By Maryam Jibril Yusuf

Nigeria’s first tertiary institution, the University of Ibadan also known as UI was established in 1948. The institution which began as a college of the University of London gained full university status in 1962.

Located in the city of Ibadan, capital of Oyo State in southwestern Nigeria, UI has a long history of academic excellence.

In April 1959, the Federal Government commissioned an inquiry (the Ashby Commission) to give advice on the higher education needs of the country for its first two decades. 

Before the  submission of the report, the Eastern Region government established its own university at Nsukka called University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1960. 

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The implementation of the Ashby Report led to the establishment of University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) in 1962 by the Western region, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1962 by the Northern Region and University of Lagos in the same year by the Federal Government.

In 1970, the newly created Midwestern region opted for a university known as  University of Benin. The six universities established  during this period 1960-1970 are still referred to as first generation universities. 

During this period, universities in Nigeria were under the close supervision of the government. Appointments of members of the council, and that of the Vice-Chancellor, were politically motivated.

In the Third National Development Plan (1975 -1980), the government established seven universities  instead of the four proposed in the plan, and also took over the four regional universities in 1975. They  were Universities of Calabar, Ilorin, Jos, Sokoto,  Maiduguri, Port Harcourt and Ado Bayero University, Kano – all known as second generation universities.

The third generation universities were established between 1980 and early 1990. They include: the Federal Universities of Technology in Owerri, Makurdi, Yola, Akure and Bauchi. While state universities were found in Imo, Ondo, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Oyo and Cross-River states .

The fourth generation universities are those established between 1991 and the present date. They include more state universities, Nigerian open universities and many private universities.

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With the liberalisation of the establishment of private universities by the federal government, Igbinedion University, Okada, in Edo State became the first private university in Nigeria. It was established on 10 May 1999 by Sir Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion.

Data from the website of the National Universities Commission, the regulatory body for universities in Nigeria, revealed that there are currently 147 private universities spread across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory of the federation.

In 2023, the  NUC revealed that Nigeria now has 264 universities. The number includes universities owned by federal and state governments as well as private individuals and corporations.