UNIVERSITY EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION

IN NIGERIA: THE MAKING OF A NEW GENERATION UNIVERSITY

By

I.O.Orubuloye

Vice-Chancellor

University of Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

The Government Higher College, Yaba established in 1932, was the first institution of higher education in Nigeria. It was established purposely to train intermediate cadre for the civil service. The College offered post-secondary diploma courses only in arts, agriculture, education, medicine and science. The college was transferred to Ibadan in 1948 to form the nucleus of the University College, Ibadan (Fafunwa, 1973). Therefore, it is correct to say that university education in Nigeria began with the advent of the University College, Ibadan as a college of the University of London. The academic programs and administrative set up were fashioned after that of the University of London, and the degrees and certificates awarded were that of University of London as well.

The University College Ibadan continued as the only institution that offered degrees in Nigeria until after Independence in 1960 when three other Universities were established. The three Universities are University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 1960, University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) 1962 and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, 1962. The University College, Ibadan, then transformed into University of Ibadan in 1962. At inception these Universities were developed as purely residential for both staff and students. Staffs who were not able to secure residential accommodation on the University campuses were housed in rented apartments highly subsidized by the Universities. Where possible the Universities also provided certain facilities such as water, security and waste management services for the affected staff. Although University education was highly subsidized by government, students were charged tuition and boarding fees, as well as other miscellaneous fees.

The 1970’s witnessed a dramatic turn in the economy of the country. Ambitious development plans were put in place and planning for development also accelerated the expansion of the University system. In 1975, seven additional Universities were created and thus increasing the number of Universities to eleven. The creation of these additional seven Universities introduced the concept of second generation Universities into the university educational system.

Between 1980 and 1982 the Federal Government opened seven additional Universities of Technology while 14 state Universities were established between 1980-1993. These Universities are now referred to as the third generation Universities. The return of democratic government in 1979 witnessed private sector participation in university education in Nigeria. Because of lack of control twenty-six private universities were established within a short period of time. In an attempt to restore sanity into the system, the Federal Military Government abolished all the private universities in June 1984.

Private sector participation in university education has again returned into the educational system in Nigeria. As of today seven private universities have started their programs, while two or three other ones have advertised for student enrolment. Fifteen states have actually started new universities, while a good number have indicated their intentions to establish new ones. From all indications it would appear that the private universities have come to stay and the country may witness the emergence of more new private and state universities in the future. The concept of fourth-generation universities may well have been established with the private Universities in the forefront.

The programs of these new Universities, except the specialized Universities of Agriculture and Technology, are largely fashioned after the older Universities now referred to as the first generation Universities. The concept of on-campus residential pattern for both students and staff was largely retained. But it was increasingly becoming difficult for even the first generation Universities to keep up with the demand of residential accommodation for both staff and students on campus because of the short fall arising from increase in student enrollment and staff. By the mid-seventies, tuition and boarding fees had been abolished and accommodation fees pegged by the Federal Government at the Federal universities.

Most Universities came up with the policy of offering accommodation for the first and final year students only while the remaining students were advised to look for accommodation elsewhere. With this policy, not more than one-third of the student population was able to secure official accommodation in the halls of residence. This was the beginning of official recognition of off-campus accommodation in the Nigerian University system. Because many students were not able to secure off-campus accommodations or not willing to live outside the university, they chose to hibernate with friends and relatives on campus. Thus, the facilities were over stretched, and depreciation set in and the system virtually collapsed.

Nearly all the third generation Universities had no provision for accommodation on campus for all staff and students at inception. The concept of non-residential University for both staff and students was therefore officially brought into the Nigerian University system for the first time. The Obafemi Awolowo University, Ado-Ekiti founded in 1982 renamed Ondo State University in 1985 (now University of Ado-Ekiti since 1999) is in the forefront of the third generation University that brought many innovations to university education and administration in Nigeria.

During the Launching of the Fourth National Development Plan on 14th January 1981, the first civilian Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Chief M.A. Ajasin announced the intention of the Government to establish a Multi-campus University in the State. Subsequently, the Governor set up a 16-member Planning Committee to advise him on the concept of establishing a multi-campus University in Ondo State. The committee submitted its report on 16th July, 1981 and recommended what was considered a feasible program of a multi-campus University of nine campuses with its main campus at Ado-Ekiti.

The appointment the first Vice-Chancellor of the University and the composition of the first Council were announced on Friday, 19th February 1982. The Council was formerly inaugurated on 30th March, 1982 and the Vice-chancellor assumed office on 1st April, 1982. The University finally opened its door to the 136 pioneering students spread in three faculties of Arts, Science and the Social Sciences during the first week of January, 1983. I joined the staff of the university as a senior lecturer on October 1 1983.

The establishment of the University as a multi-campus system was an innovation in the Nigerian University system. The establishment of a multi-campus University at the time when the Nation’s economy was in a serious problem posed a lot of challenges not only to the Government, the University authorities but also to the general public, students and the communities where the campuses will eventually be located.

One of the first challenges of the new University was to develop new concepts of educational management, which will have impact on University Education in Nigeria.

The concept of a "Developmental University" became the central focus of the philosophy of the new University. By implication, the influence of the University must be felt not only in the immediate vicinity of its campus or campuses, but throughout the whole state in particular and in the country in general. The University therefore sets itself the following tasks.

In pursuance of the philosophy of the University, it aimed to fulfill the traditional role of manpower development, relevant research, and consultancy and extension services, whilst at the same time addressing, through these various activities, the developmental problems of the state.

At inception, the new University was not provided official accommodation for a take- off and subsequently it adopted the philosophy of a non-residential University for both staff and students. The pioneering Vice Chancellor and his team, was faced with the problem of providing office accommodation, lecture rooms, library and other services in a community that was least prepared for the demand for such facilities.

On the issue of accommodation, the Vice-Chancellor stated in his first foundation day anniversary on Wednesday, 30th March 1983 as follows:

"I believe, that to survive, the Universities must re-examine the purposes of a University and the new Universities have a unique opportunity for doing this. To effect saving, we have to disengage from staff and students housing. This need not mean abandoning students to fend for themselves. A student welfare office can help students locate accommodation and we are trying to encourage various organizations to develop student’s hostels and the response so far has been encouraging. We are also trying to encourage staff to find or build their own accommodation with financial incentives which had hitherto been absent in such policies. What I am suggesting is that in arriving at a realistic cost of education, the Universities will have to be relieved of their municipal functions".

The Administration of the then Obafemi Awolowo University started from Akure in a Catering Rest House. When the University moved to Ado-Ekiti, the administrative section was located in a rented house at the GRA, the class-rooms for the faculties of Arts and the Social Sciences were located in a Nursery/Primary School at Ajitadidun , along Ado/Iworoko road, the science laboratories and science classes started at Christ school, while the library and staff offices were sited in three other different locations along Ado-Iworoko road. The location of these facilities posed a formidable challenge for both staff and students. Movement from one facility to another involved cost in terms of transportation and time.

The disengagement of the university from staff and students housing meant that they have to look up to the public to provide such facilities. A student welfare committee chaired by me was set up in 1983 to help students locate accommodation, and private organizations and individuals were encouraged to develop students’ hostels. Staffs were encouraged to find or build their own accommodation. Staffs living in private accommodations were paid twenty percent of their salaries as rent subsidy. Those who secured accommodation in the few houses owned by the University were in addition to loosing the twenty percent rent subsidy initially paid six percent and later twelve and a half percent of their salaries as rent subsidy. This policy was an innovation in the Nigerian University system because no other University was operating such policy at that time. The Federal Government has now adopted the policy, and nearly all Universities in Nigeria are now operating the policy for both staff and students.

The policy initially received stiff opposition from both staff and the general public. The Ado-Ekiti community that has been looking forward to a University that will not only provided municipal services from which it can benefit but also houses that can be leased to the University was also disappointed. This was the tradition in communities where the first Generation Universities were sited.

The staff of the University was quick to respond to the challenges of the new policy. A Cooperative Multi-Purpose Society Limited was formed to address the issue of granting loans for staff to built their own houses. The University also put a housing loan program in place to grant housing loans to staff to build their own houses. At initial stage loans were given to a few staff for this purpose. Unfortunately, only very few staff benefited from the housing loan because of the poor financial situation of the University, which affected the funding of the housing loan program.

Before too long many staff have taken the advantage of the policy to invest in their private accommodation by taking loans from the Staff Cooperative Multi-purpose Society Limited. This has yielded some dividends to the extent that within the first ten years of the establishment of the University, a significant number of staff has moved into their own houses.

On student accommodation, the individual, religious organizations and the community have responded well to the challenges. Chief Osekita pioneered the building of student’s hostel at the University. His effort has received a major boost by many individuals, religious organizations, local government councils and the singular effort of the late Dr. Lawrence Omolayo who not only built one of the biggest Administrative building in Nigerian Universities for the University but ten hostel blocks that can accommodate up to 5,000 students. The University of Ado-Ekiti now has the largest private investment in student’s accommodation in Nigeria. This is an innovation that is now being adopted by other tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

The adoption of a non-residential policy by the University meant that transportation has to be made available for both staff and students. When the University was operating in Ado-Ekiti township, there was very little problem of transportation for both staff and students. There were enough private taxes and buses to move students and staff from one point to another. The problem of transportation became compounded when the University moved to what was then christened the Mini-campus and now the permanent site in 1985. The number of students had increased and there was no student accommodation in the vicinity of the University. Iworoko community, which is the nearest settlement to the University, was only able to offer accommodation for a small fraction of the University students who were prepared to leave there.

The deplorable condition of the Ado/Iworoko Road, a major federal trunk road linking Ado-Ekiti with Ilorin was a great disincentive to private transport operators to ply the route leading to the University. The narrow bridge across Elemi River at Ilokun constructed in 1921 compounded the transport situation, because it can only take one vehicle at a time and large vehicles avoid passing through the bridge. About three weeks ago three persons died on the road when their vehicle plunged into the river, including a student of the university. The students named the river odo eje several years ago because of the frequent accidents that occurred on the bridge. The Governor led the team that recovered three dead bodies from the river during the last accident. His singular effort has now drawn the attention of the Federal government to the road. Construction of the bridge is currently going on.

At inception the University rose to the occasion by purchasing two buses initially and three others were added later for student’s and staff transportation. Several innovative approached were put in place in the management of the buses. Initially, the pay as you ride system was adopted. Many students were defaulting by playing several pranks on the bus conductors and the drivers. The buses were being managed at a great loss to the University. The University later introduced the ticketing system whereby students and staff could buy tickets in accordance with their financial capacity. The cost of an unlimited ride ticket was two hundred and fifty naira per session, while five naira was charged for a single ride.

By 1991, the transportation system had reached a crisis point. Staff and student’s populations have more than doubled and the condition of Ado-Iworoko road had deteriorated further. The University management then decided to call in private investors to manage the transportation system. After a careful search, Open Gate Investment Company Limited was appointed to manage the transport system. The system also collapsed after about three years because of the poor economy and the astronomical increase in the cost of purchasing and maintenance of vehicles.

The University has now reduced it’s participation in staff and student’s transportation. Since 1999, the number of staff and students who owned their private vehicles has increased. By and large, the establishment and operation of Omolayo hostel and other private hostel accommodations near the University campus have eased the problem of student accommodation and transportation. The Governor, Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose recently donated a 150-seater bus to the university. This has further ease the transport problem of the students and staff.

Right from inception the funding of the University was precarious. The University was establishment at the period of austerity caused by economic worldwide recession. The euphoria of the oil boom of the 1970’s had disappeared, and finances of the state were poor because of the dwindling allocation from the Federation Account. Government monthly subvention was in the past not released and hardly enough to meet the salary and wage bill. The new administration under the leadership of Governor Fayose has recently increased the monthly subvention and releases same as at when due. Though the monthly subvention is not enough to meet the wage bill, the quick release enables us to pay salaries as at when due.

The University was quick to realize the need to look for additional source of incomes. The University moved rapidly to harness public interest in its development at the early stage. A-Ten million naira Endowment Fund was launched on the Foundation Day Ceremony on 30th March, 1983 barely twelve months after the establishment of the University. The second endowment fund was launched on 23rd June, 1988 during which a total of 5.5 million naira was realized from donations and pledges. The Third Endowment Fund launched in 1992 yielded an income of about ten million naira only.

At inception in 1982, the University received a capital grant of N1.2 million and 2.5million naira in 1984. By 1986, the capital grant was at the zero level. The military Governor in charge of the state at that time considered the establishment of a University a low priority of government, and the rationale for state Universities was generally being questioned. However, allocation of capital grant improved between 1986 and 1990 and the University was able to embark on the development of infrastructure on the permanent site along Ado-Iworoko road in the area christened the mini-campus.

The need for the people of the state to support the new University financially and morally was consistently stressed. The University management devised a new approach in soliciting help and support for University. A committee of three was raised to visit private individuals in the state to solicit their support in putting up buildings on the campus and assured these donors that such building will be named after them. I was a member of this committee. The result of this innovative approach was the donation of an Administrative building by the late Dr. Lawrence Omolayo, an Ado-Ekiti based businessman. The Omolayo building which contains 374 offices, senate and council chambers has been described as one of the largest single Administrative building in any Nigerian University today.

Institutional assistants were sought and received from Owena Bank (now Omega Bank) for the establishment of the Department of Banking and Finance in 1985. The Wema Bank Limited financed the construction of the Bank/ Post Office and Shopping Complex.

Perhaps the most significant areas in which the Management of the university’s innovative ideas can most recognized and appreciated are in the development of infrastructure and prudent financial management. Construction work began at a section of the main campus christened the Mini-campus in 1984 with the meager resources at the disposal of the University. In order to reduce construction cost to meet the purse of the University, the pioneer Vice-Chancellor designed and supervised the construction work at no cost to the University.

By August 1985, when movement to the campus had been actualized, a modest University library, 38 classrooms, 10 laboratory blocks and 14 blocks of staff offices were standing firmly on the mini-campus. The office of the Vice-Chancellor was located in a section of one of the office blocks. The total cost of constructing the buildings was put at 3.475 million. Because of the poor financial situation of the University, the furnishing of the offices was modest. The Vice-Chancellor’s office had no carpet and it was a strong protest of the Director of Health Services that made the provision of rubber tiles in all the offices possible.

The Vice-Chancellor worked in this modest office throughout his tenure. The office was later transferred to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in 1991 when a new Vice-Chancellor office was constructed. I had the honour and privilege of using the office for four years during my tenure as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and later as the Acting Vice-Chancellor.

Despite the modest quality of the laboratory blocks, they were adequately equipped with the state of the art in laboratory equipment. It was generally believed that the scientific equipment in the laboratories was the most up-to-date in the whole of Western Nigeria at that time. The University library building cannot in any way be ranked with any of the older generation of University Libraries in Nigeria. Nevertheless, the library was unique in the sense that it was stocked with new books and journals that were not available in many of the older Universities at that time.

At inception, it was difficult to attract the right caliber of academic staff to the University. Although the state is endowed with a large share of academic staff spread across other Universities in Nigeria, many of them were apprehensive of the continuous existence of the University. The idea of a non-residential University for both staff and student was not attractive to many. University teachers were already used to a system whereby accommodations are provided for them in a European setting as it was the case in the First Generation University setting. Hence it was an innovation to come to a setting where they have to look for accommodation themselves and live like any other member of the community. The Ado-Ekiti community itself was not attractive because of the poor conditions of the existing housing stocks and inadequate infrastructure, such as roads, electricity, water and telephone services.

To ameliorate the situation, the University began a vigorous staff training and development program. Qualified young graduates interested in academic career were encouraged to take up appointments as Graduate Assistants. During their first year of appointment, they were fully engaged in their various departments. At the beginning of the second year, they began their training program in the older Universities. While on the training program, their school fees, salaries and entitlements were paid by the University. In addition, those who performed certain functions in the University during their training were also paid transport allowance.

A significant number of the academic staff obtained their higher degrees under the training and staff development program of the University. Before long the University has been able to produce a good number of academic staff to meet its immediate requirements.

In addition to the training and staff development programs, recruitment of senior academic staff was pursued vigorously, while visiting academic staffs were encouraged to spend their sabbatical year in the University. The staffing situation has now stabilized in many of the departments, while a good number of departments have embarked on postgraduate training programs, and many of the younger academic staff are now taking the advantage to obtain higher qualifications.

A good science base is sine qua non in the development of any society. Ekiti State had and still has a weak scientific base. It was the realization of this problem and the desired of the University to achieve its development objectives that led to the establishment of a one-year pre-degree program in science at the inception of the University.

Unlike the Remedial science programs in other Universities, the Ado-Ekiti program was opened to only applicants with five good credits including mathematics and two science subjects. The pre-degree program was and still being used to boost admission into degree programs in the Faculties of Science, Engineering, Science Education and now Agriculture. The pre-degree program in science has continued to maintain its high level standard and students from the program generally perform equally well and sometimes better than those admitted through JAMB.

If not for the foresight in the establishment of the pre-degree program in science, most of the science-based programs would have found it impossible to meet their admission quota. The graduates of the pre-degree program are now all over the world making their contributions to the development of their communities.

Outside the University, there are large numbers of people who work and unable to avail themselves the opportunity of regular University education. In an attempt to extend frontiers of knowledge beyond the regular University environment. The University first established the sandwich program purposely for teachers who required additional training to enhance their status and quality of teaching. Teachers who have the prerequisite qualifications are admitted for summer courses leading to the award of degrees in the faculty of education. The programs take place on the University campus when the regular students are on vacation and when the student-teachers are also on vacation from their various schools.

The University sandwich program has contributed immensely to the improvement in the quality of secondary school teachers in Nigeria in general and in Ekiti State in particular.

It has also provided the much-needed revenue for the University in the face of dwindling recurrent and capital allocation from Government.

The external degree program (now part-time program) of the University was put in place in 1996 as a way of taking University education to the door step of the people who need them and cannot to do so because of the constraints arising from their jobs and placement in the regular University program. It was seen as away of taking education to the doorstep of people who cannot be absolved into the regular university program. It has also become as a revenue-yielding venture for the University. The two programs are generally being modified because of the abuse that they were subjected to and recent government policy and pronouncements on such part-time programs.

Because of popular demands, the Senate of the University introduced the Faculty of Agriculture during the 1999/2000 academic year and the College of Medicine during the 2003/2004 academic year. The Faculty of Agriculture now in the fourth year will boost agricultural development in the state by providing agricultural technology and extension services to the large population of farmers. The establishment of the College of Medicine will boost health care services in the state. Patients will no longer have to travel outside the state for treatment thereby reducing cost and delay health care delivery for the general population. Both programs are capital intensive and the University will require massive financial support for the realization of their objectives.

From one University College in 1948 to 55 Federal, State and Private Universities in 2004, university education has undergone a major change in Nigeria. The oil boom of the seventies and the deregulation of the education sector in the last few years made the establishment of more universities possible. The dramatic change in the nation’s fortune meant that there has to innovations in the educational system before it could meat the aspirations of the people.

The Third Generation Universities were established during this period of austerity. The establishment of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ado-Ekiti, later renamed Ondo State University and now University of Ado-Ekiti brought about a major innovation in university administration in Nigeria, particularly in the area of accommodation and provision of municipal services for staff and students. Community and individual participation in the provision of facilities for the universities has now been re-established. The pioneering efforts of the University of Ado-Ekiti in bring about innovations in the university system will long be remembered in the annals of university administration in Nigeria.

Before I end this talk I want to appreciate the efforts of the men and women of Ekiti both at home and abroad, the various communities, both private and public organizations who have made significant contributions to the development of the University in many ways. I want to specially recognize the contributions of the late Dr. Lawrence Omolayo, the WEMA Bank PLC, the Odua Investment Company. Education Tax Fund, the Ado Community, the Ekiti Parapo Association, New York for the donation of College level textbooks worth several thousands of naira in 1992 and computer hardware and software worth nearly one million naira in 1993, the Ekiti Kete in United Kingdom for donating an 18-seater Toyota bus and books worth five million naira in March 2004, the Ekiti kete in Canada that is about shipping a large quantity of books and medical equipment to the University.

Finally, I appreciate the concern and the support of the Governor of Ekiti, the Visitor to the University, Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose, to the University since my appointment as the fourth Vice-Chancellor in March 2004. Since his assumption of duty as the Governor of the State, he has increased the monthly subvention of the University, provided a 150-seater bus to ease student transportation, establish a 25 million poultry project on the campus, released 30 million naira for capital project in the last five months, provided a 300 KVA electricity generator for the University. This has removed the University from perpetual darkness that was the order of the day before he came on board. We can now generate electricity for about seven hours a day.

The University will witness growth and development in the next five years. I invite to be part of the development individually and collectively. Your contribution will be appreciated.

Thank you all.

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 Emerging Issues of the 1970s T.M. Yusuf (ed) Oxford University Press, Ibadan.

Oladapo I.O. (1983) Speech at the First Foundation Day Ceremony of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ado-Ekiti. on Wednesday 30th March 1983.

Olorunyomi A. et al (1995) Ondo State University: The Early Years, O & A Books, Akure, Nigeria