The university is in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. 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 .
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 commission. 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.
On 11 June 1970, an edict known as the University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife Edict 1970, was promulgated by the Government of the Western State to replace the Provisional Council Law of 18 June 1961. This Edict had since been amended by the University Amendment Edict No 11 of 1975. This New Decree effected a take-over of the University by the Federal Military Government.
No comments:
Post a Comment