Obafemi Awolowo University

== History ==
In 1951, with the adoption of a new [[Constitution of Nigeria|constitution]], major changes were made to elected [[legislator]]s and regional [[Premier]]s in the regions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://legalsociety.com.ng/constitutional-developments-in-nigeria-iii/|title=The MacPherson constitution (1951)}}{{dead link|date=May 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Because they saw education as a key driver of change and development, the new regional administrations gave an extension of basic and secondary education priority. A commission was established by the Federal Minister of Education in 1959 to study the nation's projected needs for university graduates between 1960 and 1980.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.openedition.org/ifra/1024?lang=en|title=Development of higher education in Nigeria|chapter=The Demand for Higher Education and Employment Opportunities in Nigeria |series=African Dynamics |date=16 January 2015 |pages=241–265 |publisher=IFRA-Nigeria |isbn=9791092312171 }}</ref> The commission was headed by Cambridge lecturer [[Eric Ashby, Baron Ashby|Eric Ashby]], a master at [[Clare College, Cambridge]], and also included labour economist [[Frederick H. Harbison]].<ref name="faf">{{Cite journal |last=Fafunwa  |first=Babatunde |year=1974 |title=The Growth and Development of Nigerian Universities. |url=https://archive.org/details/ERIC_ED097843 |journal=Overseas Liaison Committee: American Council on Education |pages=1–28}}</ref> The expectation of the commission's final report by the  [[Western State (Nigeria)|Western Region]] government was that the [[University of Ibadan]] would satisfy the needs of the Western Region, a position on which the federal government disagreed.<ref name="Olan">{{Cite book |title=Ife University in colour: a Panorama of Africa's most beautiful campus. |last=Olaniyan |first=Richard |publisher=Ife University |year=1983 |location=Ife, Nigeria |language=en}}</ref>  Before a final report was submitted in October 1960, the Western government began preparations for the establishment of a university in the region.<ref name="Olan"/>

The decision to establish the University of Ife<ref>{{cite web|title=Nigeria: Great Ife at 50|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201203110036.html|publisher=All Africa|access-date=27 March 2014}}</ref> by the ruling [[Action Group (Nigeria)|Action Group party]] of the Western Region of Nigeria was in protest at the recommendations of the Ashby Report.<ref>Feuser 1991</ref>{{full citation needed|date=July 2022}} The first Nigerian university was established in 1948 at [[Ibadan]] in the Western Region as an external college of the [[University of London]]. The needs of Nigeria (then a [[Colonial Nigeria|British colony]]), however, exceeded the productivity of the country's only university. In particular, the University of Ibadan had no faculty of engineering or technology, law school, pharmacy school or management training abilities. The Ashby Commission, which was set up by the British, was to review the tertiary education needs of the soon-to-be-independent nation of Nigeria. The government of the Western Region did not want to rely on federal universities or those of other regions to admit its numerous secondary school leavers. The University at Ife was founded as a rebuttal to the perceived politicization of higher education opportunities in Nigeria and the Western Region and was designed to fill the gaps in 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,<ref name="faf"/> 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, were provided to the region.<ref name="faf"/> In 1961, a vote establishing the Provisional Council of the university was passed by the Western Regional Assembly. The final site chosen, a {{Convert|13000|acre|ha|abbr=out}} of land, was donated by the people of [[Ile-Ife]] for the proposed university.<ref name="faf"/> The first financial grant provided for the university was £250,000 from the Western regional government.<ref name="miner"/>

===Ibadan Campus===
On 22 September 1962, the university was opened to 244 students at its temporary facilities, the previous College of Arts and Sciences, Ibadan.<ref name="Olan"/> Some of the new students were previously at the College of Arts and Sciences, and some staff were recruited from [[University of Ibadan|University College, Ibadan]], and from abroad. [[Oladele Ajose]] was nominated as the first Vice-Chancellor of the university, which began with faculties of agriculture, arts, economics and social studies, law and science.<ref name="faf"/>  The style of administration of the university and faculties was similar to University College, Ibadan, and during its foundation, it established a relationship with [[University of Wisconsin|the University of Wisconsin]].<ref name="miner">{{Cite journal |date=1965 |jstor=41821660 |journal=Minerva |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=210–215|title=University Development in Nigeria: Report of the National Universities Commission |doi=10.1007/BF01096335 |s2cid=189788838 }}</ref> Adverse political conditions within the region delayed the move from Ibadan to Ife.<ref name="Olan"/>

In February 1966, Lt-Col Francis [[Adekunle Fajuyi]], the Visitor of the University of Ife and the first Military Governor of the Western Region, appointed Hezekiah Oluwasanmi as the new Vice-Chancellor, and Chief TT Solaru as the pro-chancellor, and gave them money and orders to relocate to the permanent campus by October 1966. Fajuyi was killed at Ibadan in the military mutiny of July 1966 and did not witness the movement he orchestrated. Fajuyi Hall, a residential hall, was named to honour his contributions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adegboruwa |first=Ebun |date=25 April 2023 |title=Murder in the citadel – Part 2 |url=https://guardian.ng/opinion/murder-in-the-citadel-part-2/ |website=Guardian News}}</ref>

=== Move to Ife ===
The university's move to the new campus at Ile-Ife began in January 1967.<ref name="Olan"/> The campus at Ife had the first faculty of pharmacy in [[West Africa]], the first department of chemical engineering, and the first faculty of electronics components and electrical engineering.<ref name="National Universities Commission">[https://www.preps.ng/oau-cut-off-marks/]{{cite web |title=Focal areas of the Commission, 20 January 2013 |url=http://www.nuc.edu.ng/nucsite/File/Monday%20Bulletin/MB%202013/MB%207th%20January%202013%20final.pdf |access-date=27 March 2014 |publisher=National Universities Commission}}{{dead link|date=April 2017}}</ref><ref name="Stand up for Great Ife at 50">{{cite web|last=Adewale|first=Stephen|title=Stand up for Great Ife at 50|url=http://pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/85294|publisher=Pambazuka|access-date=27 March 2014}}</ref>  Its medical school started with an integrated curriculum and community orientation, which was later adopted by the [[World Health Organization]], and a compulsory [[bachelor's degree|baccalaureate]] (BSc honours)  before gaining entrance to the clinical school, but this was later abandoned.

===Federal University===
In 1975, a new military government introduced decrees making the University of Ife a Federal University.<ref name="Olan"/> On 10 July 1999, members of the [[Neo Black Movement of Africa|Black Axe Confraternity]] murdered the secretary-general of the students' union George Iwilade and several other student activists in the [[Obafemi Awolowo University massacre]]. Education Minister [[Tunde Adeniran]] issued a statement acknowledging the incident and saying the ministry will treat the case with "utmost concern".<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/392634.stm |title=World: Africa – Arrests after Nigerian cult killings |date=July 12, 1999 |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |access-date=27 March 2014}}</ref>