Nigeria: 14 'Do You Know' Facts About Obafemi Awolowo University

. OAU Ife was founded in 1962 as the University of Ife but christened by the Federal Military Government as Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, on May 12, 1987.


2. OAU Ife is situated on 13,000 acres (53 km2) of land.



3. The first vice-chancellor of the OAU Ife was Professor Oladele Ajose (MD, PhD) a Glasgow University graduate and Nigeria’s first professor of public health recruited from the University of Ibadan and served from 1962 to 1966.


4. On May 6 2002, Surgeons at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife in Osun Sate successfully separated a set of Nigerian siamese twins with a common anus and fused lower spine.



5. In 2005, OAU was listed as the 1st of top 20 Research Universities in Nigeria by National Universities Commission


6. In July 2007, OAU Inaugurated a Computer Assembly Plant.

7. In October 2007, Great Ife Students Win Awards For Nigeria At Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) World Cup tournament in New York City, United States of America.



8. OAU Ife is ranked as the most productive university in Nigeria by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and by Shanghai University world rankings as it relates to Africa.

9. Nigeria’s House of Reps member Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa graduated from the Obafemi Awolowo University (formerly University of Ife) with a B.A Hons degree in English in 1983. In 2008, she won the Great Ife Alumni Award for Excellence in the Management/Public Administration category.



10. Nigeria’s only Nobel prize winner (in literature), Wole Soyinka, served as professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Ife and was also appointed an emeritus professor of Dramatic Arts at OAU Ife.



11. Fajuyi, Awolowo, Angola and E.T.F. are the major halls of residences for male undergraduates.

12. Moremi, Ladoke Akintola, Alumni and Mozambique are the major halls of residences for female undergraduates.

13. Muritala Muhammed is the major hall of residence for post graduate students.

14. The motto of the OAU Ife is ‘For learning and culture’

Source:eduafrica.com