The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (University of Nigeria, UNN) is a public land-grant research university in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. Founded in 1955 by President Nnamdi Azikiwe, the university was formally opened on 7 October 1960. It was one of the first generation universities in Nigeria. The university has three campuses in Enugu State cities of Nsukka, Enugu, and Ituku-Ozalla, and one in Aba, Abia State.
The University of Nigeria is the first indigenous and autonomous university in Nigeria. It is modelled after the American educational system. It was the first land-grant university in Africa and one of the five most reputed universities in Nigeria. The university has 17 Faculties and 102 academic departments, offering over 108 undergraduate programs and 211 postgraduate programmes.
Contents
History
A law to establish a university in the Eastern Region of Nigeria was passed on 18 May 1955. Advice was sought from educationists in the UK and the US to help in the planning of the physical and educational aspects of the proposed university.
Under the joint auspices of the Inter-University Council for Higher Education and Overseas and the International Co-operation Administration (now the United States Agency for International Development), J.W. Cook, vice-chancellor of the University of Exeter, John A. Hannah, President of Michigan State University and Glen L. Taggart, Dean of International Programs at the same university, came to Nigeria in 1958. The team surveyed the site in Nsukka and extensively investigated a great variety of factors pertinent to the establishment of a new university.
The results of their efforts were contained in a white paper issued by the Eastern Nigeria Government on 30 November 1958. They had recommended, "that the development of the University of Nigeria based upon the concept of service to problems and needs of Nigeria, is a desirable project and one that should receive support from any source which could help to make it a sound endeavour".
They further recommended that a provisional council be established to "draw upon the technical and consultative resources available throughout the world for help in planning the institution".
The provisional council, authorized by the Eastern Nigeria Legislature, was appointed by the Governor in Council in April 1959, and given the necessary financial and administrative powers to build a sound university. It reflected the spirit of international co-operation which has given birth to the institution. It consisted of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, chairman, Dr T. Olawale Elias and Dr Okechukwu Ikejiani from the Federation of Nigeria, J. S. Fulton from the United Kingdom, Dr. Marguerite Cartwright and Dr. Eldon Lee Johnson from the United States. The university was formally opened on 7 October 1960, as the climax to the Nigerian independence celebrations in the country's Eastern Region, by Princess Alexandra of Kent. Classes began on 17 October 1960 with an enrollment of 220 students and 13 members of the academic staff. The opening convocation addresses were delivered by the Chairman of the Provisional Council, Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first President of the Federation of Nigeria, and by John A. Hannah, president of Michigan State University.
Campuses
The university has four campuses:
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN,
University of Nigeria Enugu campus, UNEC.
University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH - Ituku-Ozalla
University of Nigeria Aba campus, UNAC Aba.
The main campus of the university is located on 871 hectares of hilly savannah in the town of Nsukka, about eighty kilometres north of Enugu, and enjoys a very pleasant and healthy climate. Additionally 209 hectares of arable land are available for an experimental agricultural farm and 207 hectares for staff housing development. There is regular road transport between Nsukka and Enugu, and Nsukka is also quite easily accessible from all parts of Nigeria. There are modern shopping facilities and a large market in Nsukka town.
The Nsukka campus houses the Faculties of Agriculture, Arts, Biological Sciences, Education, Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, Vocational Technical Education, and Veterinary Medicine.
The former Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Enugu, was incorporated into the university in 1961, and its buildings now form the Enugu Campus (200 hectares) of the university located in the heart of Enugu, the administrative capital of Enugu State of Nigeria. Enugu is a modern city, accessible by air, rail and road. The Faculties of Business Administration, Environmental Studies, Law, Basic Medical Sciences, and Health Sciences are located at the Enugu Campus.
The teaching hospital attached to the university is presently sited at Ituku-Ozalla (25 kilometres south of Enugu) on a 500-hectare (1,200-acre) site. It also hosts the Faculty of Dentistry/Dental Surgery and Medical Sciences.
The Aba campus (UNAC) hosts the National Institute for Nigerian Languages.
Faculties
Nsukka campus which serves as the main campus of the University has the following faculties listed below:
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
Faculty of Arts
Faculty of the Biological Sciences
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Engineering
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty of Physical Sciences
Faculty of the Social Sciences
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Faculty of Vocational Technical Education
Enugu campus has the following facilities listed below:
Basic Medical Sciences
Faculty of Business Administration
Faculty of Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Medical Sciences
University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Ituku-Ozalla Campus has the following faculties listed below :
Faculty of Dentistry
Faculty of Health, Science and Technology
Aba Campus has only one faculty which is listed below:
Research institutions
Institute of African Studies
Religious bodies
Christ Church Chapel, University of Nigeria, Nsukka is an interdenominational chapel founded on 14 January 1965.
St. Peter's Chaplaincy, University of Nigeria, serves the needs of the Catholic parishioners within the university.
There are many other Churches and Fellowships located within the University. Some of the Churches include Assemblies of God Church, Dominion City, Ideal Life City, Lighthouse Christian Centre, His Voice Universal, Christ Awareness Network, and The Abiding Word Group (TAWG). Some of the Fellowships include Winners' Campus Fellowship (WCF), CASOR, Scripture Union Campus Fellowship (SUCF), Christian Union (CU), Anglican Student Fellowship (ASF), SCM, Methodist Student Fellowship, Presbyterian Student Fellowship (PSF), Deeper Life Christian Fellowship (DLCF), Watchman, and The Lord's Chosen Campus Fellowship (TLCCF).
Academics
Novelist Chinua Achebe held research and teaching appointments at the university, beginning in the early 1970s. He worked in the faculty of arts with critic and African literature scholar Donatus Nwoga. Astrophysicist Sam Okoye founded the Space Research Center in 1972. The Centre for Basic Space Research remains one of the few institutions in Africa that carries out research and offers courses in astronomy at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
The first open heart surgical operation in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa was undertaken in 1974 at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu. The team was led by visiting Magdi Yacoub from the UK and others in the team included Professors Fabian Udekwu and Anyanwu. The College of Medicine has since evolved into the centre for cardiothoracic surgery and tropical cardiology excellence for the West Africa region with the siting of the National Cardiothoracic Center at UNTH Enugu. Much medical research is also being carried out in the college.
The Department of Fine and Applied Arts is known for the Nsukka group – seven artists associated with a system of traditional Igbo designs and styles known as uli.
The Law Faculty of the university is the oldest in Nigeria; it was established in 1960.
The Department of Electronic Engineering was named a Center of Excellence in Electronics by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1982. The department was established in 1981 under the faculty of engineering after the previous department of electronic engineering was split into two separate department. The department offers a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electronic Engineering to undergraduates, as well a MSC and Doctoral degree program in relevant specializations under Electronic Engineering. The Department has produced the highest number of first-class graduate than any other department in the university. The department has also produced many overall best graduating students more than any department in the university. It has produced overall university best for the three consecutive academic session in 1995/1996 1996/1997 1997/1998.
Library
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka Libraries consist of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Library, the Enugu Campus Main Library and the Medical Library located at the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla. On 8 March 2009, the multi-complex Nnamdi Azikiwe Library of University of Nigeria, Nsukka was officially opened by the then minister of Education, Dr Sam Egwu. The library has embraced information technology to provide an effective library service to users and this was why it was one of the three leading academic libraries in Nigeria where TINLIB software was introduced in the 90s. After so many failed attempts to automate the library using a well robust integrated library management software, the library finally settled for KOHA Integrated library management software to automate its activities. The library collection is unique because it contains an Africana section that houses rare books such as Biafrana and Achebeana. It has a total holding of 350,000 book titles and about 5000 serials titles.
Vice-Chancellors
Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya: August 2025 - Present
Prof. Oguejiofo T. Ujam (Acting): February 2025 - August 2025
Prof. Polycarp Emeka Chigbu (Acting): August 2024-February 2025
Prof. Romanus Ezeokonkwo (Acting): June 2024-August 2024
Prof. Charles Arizechukwu Igwe: June 2019–June 2024
Prof. Benjamin Chukwuma Ozumba: June 2014–June 2019
Prof. Bartho Okolo: 2009 – June 2014
Prof. Chinedu Ositadinma Nebo: June 2004 – June 2009
Prof. Ginigeme Francis Mbanefoh: 1999 – 2004
Prof. Umaru Gomwalk: May 1994 – (appointed as the Sole Administrator)
Prof.r Oleka K. Udeala:1992 – 1995
Prof. Chimere Ikoku: 1985 – 1992
Professor Frank Nwachukwu Ndili: 1980 – Oct. 1985
Prof. Umaru Shehu: 1978 – 1979
Prof. James O. C. Ezeilo: 1975 – 1978
Prof. Herbert C. Kodilinye: 1971 – 1975
Prof. Eni Njoku: July 1966 – 1967; 1967 – 1970
Prof. Glen L. Taggart: 1964 – 1966
Affiliate institutions
Source from the National Universities Commission (NUC):
Assemblies of God Divinity School, Umuahia
College of Education, Ikere Ekiti
Nwafor Orizu College of Education
Digital Bridge Institute, Abuja
Spiritan International School of Theology, Enugu
Spiritan School of Philosophy, Issienu, Nsukka
St. Paul's College, Awka
Trinity Theological College, Umuahia
West Africa Theological Seminary, Ipaja, Lagos
Yaba College of Technology, Lagos