Due to their affordability, federal universities are Nigeria’s most popular tertiary educational institutions. With scores of federal universities in Nigeria, many want to know not just which are the most rigorous academically, but also which are the most affordable and safest, and if federal universities are superior to their state counterparts.
This post identifies the best federal universities in Nigeria in 2022 while reviewing some frequently asked questions about federal universities.
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University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State
The University of Ibadan (UI) is a public research university in Ibadan, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1948 as University College Ibadan, one of many colleges within the University of London. It became an independent university in 1962 and is the oldest degree-awarding institution in Nigeria. Through its graduate network, the University of Ibadan has contributed to the political, industrial, economic and cultural development of Nigeria.
See: UI Courses and Admission Requirements
2. University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State.
The University of Nigeria, commonly referred to as UNN, is a federal university located in Nsukka, Enugu State, Eastern part of Nigeria. Founded by Nnamdi Azikiwe in 1955 and formally opened on 7 October 1960, the University of Nigeria has three campuses in Enugu State– Nsukka, Enugu, and Ituku-Ozalla – and the Aba campus in Abia State.
The University of Nigeria is the first full-fledged indigenous and first autonomous university in Nigeria, modelled upon 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 15 Faculties and 102 academic departments. The university offers 108 undergraduate programs and 211 postgraduate programmes.
The university celebrated its 50th anniversary in October 2010, and would have celebrated its 60th anniversary in October, 2020 save for the COVID-19 pandemic
UNN Courses and Admission Requirements
Also See: Affordable Private Universities In The US
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3. University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos State.
The University of Lagos, popularly known as UNILAG, is a public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria and was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the first generation universities in Nigeria and is ranked among the top universities in the world in major education publications. The university presently has three campuses in the mainland of Lagos. Whereas two of its campuses are located at Yaba (the main campus in Akoka and the recently created campus at the former school of radiography), it’s college of medicine is located at Idi-Araba, Surulere. Its main campus is largely surrounded by the Lagos lagoon and has 802 acres of land. The University of Lagos currently admits over 9,000 undergraduate students annually and enrolls over 57,000 students
UNILAG Courses and Admission Requirements
4. University of Ife, Ile-Ife. Osun State.
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) is a federal government-owned university that is located in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
OAU Courses & Admission Requirements
5. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Kaduna State
Ahmadu Bello University Zaria is a federal government research university in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. ABU was founded on 4 October 1962, as the pioneer university in Northern Nigeria. It was founded and named after the Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, the first premier of Northern Nigeria.
The university operates two campuses: Samaru (main) and Kongo in Zaria. There is a pre-degree school in Funtua, it is approximately 85 Kilometres from the main campus of the university. The Samaru campus houses the administrative offices and the faculties of physical sciences, life sciences, social sciences, arts and languages, education, environmental design, engineering, medical sciences, agricultural sciences and research centres. The Kongo campus hosts the faculties of Law and Administration. The Faculty of Administration consists of Accounting, Business Administration, Local Government and Development Studies as well as Public Administration. Additionally, the university is responsible for other institutions and programmes at other locations.
See: Ahmadu bello University Courses & Admission Requirements
6. Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State.
The Federal University of Technology, Minna is a Federal Government owned University in Nigeria. It was established on 1st February, 1983. The objective for its establishment is to give effect to the Nation’s drive for the much-needed self-reliance in Science, Engineering and especially Technology. It is a specialized University of Technology.
FUTMINNA Courses and Admission Requirements
7. University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State.
University of Ilorin, also known as Unilorin, is a federal government-owned university in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. It was established by a decree of the federal military government in August, 1975. The establishment aimed to implement one of the educational directives of the Third National Development Plan which was aimed at providing more opportunities for Nigerians aspiring to acquire university education and to generate high-level manpower, so vital for the rapidly expanding economy. Compared to other higher institutions of learning in the country, the institution has one of the largest land areas, covering approximately 15,000 hectares of land. It is reported by JAMB to be the most sought-after Nigerian university in 2021.
see: University of Ilorin Courses & Admission Requirements
8. University of Benin, Ugbowo, Edo State
University of Benin (UNIBEN) is a public research university located in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.It is among the universities owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria and was founded in 1970.The School currently has two campuses with fifteen faculties including a central library called the John Harris Library.The buildings in UNIBEN are sparsely built, they are not close to each other.
UNIBEN has a teaching hospital called University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), a very big hospital with all specialties and medical fields, there are also various units such as SERVICOM, Medical Records, Nurses and Doctors house, laundry services, catering and many more.
See: UNIBEN Courses and Admission Requirements
9. University of Abuja, FCT Abuja.
The University of Abuja is a tertiary institution in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. It was established in January 1988 (under Decree No. 110 of 1992 as amended) as a dual-mode university with the mandate to run conventional and distance learning programmes. Academic work began in the university in 1990 with the matriculation of its pioneer students.
See: UNIABUJA Courses and Admission Requirements
10. Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State.
The Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) is a federal government university in Owerri West, the capital of Imo State, Nigeria. The university is bounded by the communities of Eziobodo, Umuchima, Ihiagwa and Obinze. It is the premier federal university of technology in the South-East and South-South parts of Nigeria.
The university is the oldest university of technology in Nigeria and was established in 1980 by executive fiat with the composition and appointment of the first provisional council by Nigeria’s first Executive President, Shehu Shagari. It became the first of three such universities set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria which sought to establish a University of Technology in each geo-political region and particularly in a state which did not have a conventional university.
FUTO began with 225 students and 60 staff (28 academic and 32 non-academic).[5] Like other federal universities in Nigeria, FUTO is headed by a Chancellor who is usually a royal father, and followed by a Vice Chancellor who oversees the daily activities of the university
See: FUTO Courses and Admission requirements
11. University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State (FUNAAB) was established on January 1, 1988 by the Federal Government when four Universities of Technology, earlier merged in 1984, were demerged. This led to the creation of the first two Universities of Agriculture in Abeokuta and Makurdi.
FUNAAB Courses and Admission Requirements
12. University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt Rivers State.
The University of Port Harcourt is located in Choba in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, Nigeria. It was established in 1975 as University College, Port Harcourt and was given university status in 1977. The University of Port Harcourt was ranked the sixth in Africa and the first in Nigeria by Times Higher Education in 2015
See: Courses and Admission Requirements
13. Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State
The Federal University of Technology Akure (informally FUT Akure or simply FUTA) is a federal government-owned university located in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. It was founded in 1981[1] under a drive by the government of Nigeria to create universities that specialised in producing graduates with practical as well as theoretical knowledge of technologies.
Other universities of technology established around the same time were the Federal University of Technology Owerri, the Federal University of Technology, Abeokuta (FUTAB), which later metamorphosed to the present University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), the Federal University of Technology Minna, the Federal University of Technology Yola, and the Federal University of Technology Bauchi (now Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University
See: Courses and Admission Requirements
14. University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State.
What became the University of Jos was established in November 1971 from the satellite campus of the University of Ibadan. The first students were admitted in January 1972 as pre-degree students and the first Bachelor of Arts degree program began in October 1973. In October 1975, the then military government under General Murtala Mohammed established the Unijos as a separate institution. The first Vice-Chancellor of the Unijos was Professor Gilbert Onuaguluchi. Classes began at the newly reorganized University of Jos in October 1976 with 575 students spreading over the existing four faculties of Arts and Social Sciences, Education, Natural Sciences and Medical Sciences. Post-graduate programs were added in 1977. By 1978 Faculties of Law and Environmental Sciences were established and the Faculties of Arts and Social Sciences were separated.
See: Courses and Admission Requirements
15. Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Federal University Oye Ekiti is a government owned and operated Nigerian university. The university is in the ancient city of Oye-Ekiti and Ikole-Ekiti making it two campuses. The university was founded in 2011 as one of the federal universities established by the federal government of Nigeria, led by President Goodluck Jonathan.
See: Federal University Oye-Ekiti Courses and Admission Requirements
16. University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State
The University of Uyo is located in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The university was formerly known as the University of Cross River State. On 1 October 1991 the Federal government of Nigeria established it as a Federal University and the name was changed to the University of Uyo.
See: UNIUYO Courses and Admission Requirements
17. University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Makurdi, Benue State.
The University of Agriculture, Makurdi (UAM) is a higher education institution in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.
The university was established in 1988, following the recommendations of a 1987 federal government White Paper on Higher Education curriculum and development in Nigeria. The vice-chancellor is Professor Anande Richard Kimbir, and the chancellor is the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari CFR. On 14 July 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari approved a bill renaming it the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University
See: UAM Courses and Admission Requirements
18. Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo
The Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo (AE-FUNAI) is a Nigerian higher institution located in Ndufu, Alike Ikwo of Ebonyi State. It was established in 2011. It was formally called Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo until February 2nd , 2018 when it renamed by the Federal Government after the late civilian Vice President of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Ekwueme. The University sits on a land mass of 438 hectares . The University has 10, 000 and 2, 230 students and staff population respectively.
See: AE-UNAI Courses and Admission Requirements
19. University of Maiduguri Maiduguri, Borno State.
The University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) is a Federal higher institution located in Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno State in northeast Nigeria. The university was created by the federal government of Nigeria in 1975, with the intention of its becoming one of the country’s principal higher-education institutions. It enrolls about 25,000 students in its combined programs, which include a college of medicine and faculties of agriculture, arts, environmental science, Allied health science, Basic medical science, dentistry, education, engineering, law, management science, pharmacy, science, social science, and veterinary medicine. With the encouragement of the federal government, the university has recently been increasing its research efforts, particularly in the fields of agriculture, medicine and conflict resolution, and expanding the university press. The university is the major higher institution of learning in the north-eastern part of the country.
See: UNIMAID Courses and Admission Requirements
20. University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross Rivers State
The University of Calabar is a public university situated in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. It is one of Nigeria’s second generation federal universities. The University of Calabar was a campus of the University of Nigeria until 1975. The Vice Chancellor is Florence B. Obi. The post of the DVC (Academic) is held by Angela Oyo Ita, while Michal Okom is the DVC (Administration).
The architecture was designed by John Elliott. It was established by decree to fulfill this traditional mandate, its motto “Knowledge for Service”.
The University of Calabar was one of the foremost Nigerian Universities to automate students’ registration processes through the College Portal, and has taken a step further to automate her alumni relations which includes an online transcript request and processing first of its kind in the country
See: UNICAL Courses and Admission Requirements
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