Largest university in Nigeria in 2024: Top 5 list to check out
Have you ever wondered, "What is the largest university in Nigeria?" You are not alone. Luckily for you, this article will give you all the detailed information you need to know about the largest Nigerian university in terms of the size of land owned by the institution.
Source: UGC
While an institution's size may not hugely affect whether a student decides to pick it as their future school, this information is quite interesting.
If you would like to know which is the largest Nigerian university, read on.
Top 5 largest university in Nigeria
Find out which one is the largest below:
1. University of Ilorin - 15,000 hectares
Source: Facebook
Top on this list of universities in Nigeria with the largest landmass is the University of Ilorin. It is the largest university in Nigeria, occupying 15,000 hectares of land.
The University of Ilorin is located in Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara State, on latitude 8.4799° N and longitude 4.5418° E.
It is located at about 500km from Abuja and about 300km away from the nation’s economic capital (Lagos).
The University of Ilorin is one of the first universities in sub-Saharan Africa with uninterrupted academic programs for over 16 years.
In August 2018, Vanguard reported that the University of Ilorin, Kwara said that it has earmarked 5,000 hectares from its 15,000 hectares landmass for allocation to interested staff and students for commercial farming.
Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, made the disclosure in Ilorin at the official presentation of items purchased by the 1988 University set of the Faculty of Agriculture.
He also explained that the institution was currently using just five percent of the total 15,000 hectares of its landmass.
2. University of Abuja - 11,824 hectares
Source: Facebook
The institution has its mini campus in Gwagwalada, Abuja, Nigeria, and a permanent site covering about 11,824 hectares located along the Kaduna - Lokoja - Abuja Road.
The University of Abuja took off from a temporary site, made up of three blocks of building meant for a primary school in Gwagwalada, tagged the “mini-campus”.
Academic activities started on the mini-campus in 1990. That same year, the institution was allocated an expanse of land covering over 11,800 hectares along the Abuja Airport road for the development of its main campus.
The university currently offers 1539 courses. UNIABUJA has 15,000 students and 1700 lecturers.
3. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) - 10,000 hectares
This institution was opened on 1 January 1988 after the federal authorities eliminated four technological universities previously united in 1984.
The total size of FUNAAB is 10,000 hectares.
FUNAAB's vision is:
To be a Centre of Excellence in knowledge generation, towards global development and the sustainability of an environment-friendly society.
4. Ahmadu Bello University - 7,000 hectares
Source: Facebook
ABU was founded on October 4, 1962. Initially, the institution was called the University of Northern Nigeria.
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There are 2 campuses: Samaru and Kongo in Zaria. ABU occupies about 7,000 hectares.
5. Obafemi Awolowo University - 5,260 hectares
Source: Facebook
The university occupies an area of about 13,000 hectares.
The student population at the institution has been rising steadily from 244 in 1962/63 to over 30,000 at the moment.
Which is the largest university in Nigeria by population?
The largest Nigerian university, in terms of population, is the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). In 2018, enrollment at Nigeria’s National Open University hit 515,000.
You now know which is the largest university in Nigeria in terms of the size of land it occupies. For more interesting lists, keep reading Legit.ng.
READ ALSO: Best courses to study in the world
Legit.ng recently reported about the best courses to study in the world today. According to the report, technology and innovation have changed the world massively, and even the educational sector has been affected by this change.
Some programs never existed in learning institutions a few decades ago, but thanks to technology, they are among the best. The best courses to study include Finance and Architecture courses.
The report concluded that the best courses to study in the world are also competitive as everyone wants to be the crème de la crème. The stiff competition may lock out some students who do not put in the extra effort. As such, taking short courses related to your major on the side is advisable as they build your resume and put you at an advantage over your peers; the end goal is to have a career that can sustain you after school.
Source: Legit.ng
