University of Ado-Ekiti
GIANT STRIDES AT 25

The University of Ado-Ekiti which was established on March 30, 1982 by the administration of late Chief Micheal Adekunle Ajasin, the first civilian governor of Ondo State has recorded landmark achievements even as it celebrated its 25th anniversary.

As the bastion of knowledge and academic freedom, the university has been designed to reflect the history, the ethnology, social values, the economy and the egalitarian nature of the country. All these qualities have made the university to be one of the most-sought after university while being ranked by the National University Commission (NUC) as the third best state University in the country.

University of Ado-Ekiti, as it is known today was at inception in 1982 known as Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and it pride itself as the only University that has within a quarter of a century had its name changed three times.

The name was changed to Ondo State University in 1985 and to its present name of University of Ado-Ekiti in November 1999.

The institution has chosen as its philosophy and purpose, a developmental objective which is a mission of providing all the functions that a citadel of learning can perform in a developmental process throughout a defined constituency.

The philosophy of the University of Ado-Ekiti is encapsulated as the effective application of higher education to the problems of development in the state through applied research, technical assistance, direct consultation, information services and internship programme.

Unad is also meant to provide innovative educational programmes high standard, regardless of the nature of the degree being pursued as long as this has relevance to the development of Ekiti State, meeting specific manpower needs and serve custodian, promoter and propagator of the state’s social and cultural heritage.

A record 15 first class honours was recorded at the 16th convocation ceremonies which marked the 25th anniversary of the University.

In his address during the celebration the Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. Isreal Olatunji Orubuloye paid glowing tribute to the late Chief Ajasin, the then Governor of Ondo State for his courage in establishing the University.

He recalled that on January 14, 1981, during the launching of the fourth National Development Plan, late Chief Ajasin announced the intention of the Ondo State government to establish a Multi-Campus University in the state and as a follow up a 16 member planning committee was set up to advise the government on it.

The exercise led to the appointment of Prof. I.O. Oladapo as the First Vice-Chancellor of the University in Febuary 19,1982 while the composition of the first council headed by the late Chief B.A. Ajaiyi was also announced same day. The council was formally inaugurated at the City Hall , Ado-Ekiti on March 31, 1982 and it was decided that March 30 each year will be observed as the University Founded Day.

It was also recalled that the University started off in a modest way from the old catering Rest House in Akure and moved to a temporary site in Ado-Ekiti where lectures started soon after with 136 students spread in the Faculties of Arts, Science and Social Sciences while during the 1983/84 session, new courses where established to strengthen the existing faculties and they were Geology, Biology, Chemistry, French, Yoruba Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Political Science and Psychology.

A fourth Faculty – Faculty of Education was established and the student population increased to 724 in 1983/84 session.

According to the Vice-Chancellor, although the University was conceived as a multi-campus institution, the idea was jettisoned due to the poor financial situation in the state and the country, making the development of the institution to be concentrated in Ado-Ekiti.

In the 1985/86 session, the Faculty of Engineering with three initial Departments of Civil, Mechanical and Electrical and a Department of Banking and Finance while the Faculty of Law was established during the 1991/92 session and the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences was established in 2001, bringing the Faculties to eight and the student population of 10,000.

In order the University the 21st century compliant, Prof. Orubuloye disclosed that his administration has provided facilities which are at different stage of completion. They include new library (Phase), Faculty of Agricultural Science Building, 750-seater Lecture Theatre, Health Center Extension, Faculty of Management Sciences building, renovation of the VC’s Guest House and all the University building to meet the National University Commission’s accreditation standards.

Others are the construction of the New Faculty of Arts building, new Faculties of Education, Social Sciences and Science buildings.

In the last 25years, some of the philanthropists who made significant contributions to the physical development of the University include Dr. Lawrence Omolayo who donated the administrative block consisting of 271 offices, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), fully furnished 350 seater Lecture Theatre, Dr. Ahmed Aliyu Mustapha, 400 seater Lecture Theatre, Ado-Ekiti Community, administrative block for the Faculty of Law and Major General Adeyinka Adebayo who released 16 Flats at Adebayo Estate for the use of the University since 1984.

The Education Trust Fund (ETF) constructed 1,200 – seater, 750 – seater Lecture Theatres, new Library Complex, the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences office complex, new Faculties of Social Sciences, Arts and Education offices.

The VC who said that a large number of the programms of the University now enjoys full accreditation while some enjoy interim accreditation, also reported that the University has joined the computer age as almost all its academic activities are now done on-line.

A private company he said, has recently established in the University an Information Technology Centre (ITC) with 125 computers and a capacity to increase to 250 and that the centre runs for 24hours daily with an uninterrupted power supply.

He said the council of the University recently set-up an endowment fund for indigent but brilliant student with an initial contribution of N1million pointing out that the problem of indigency has become real in the University because of the poor Economic situation of many parents and the rising cost of University education. He implored well meaning Nigerians to donate to the cause.