Brief History of University of Abuja

What a comprehensively planned distance education system could play in a country like Nigeria, the Federal Government was advised to establish, as soon as possible, a separate and distinct open university institution, to be organized nationwide on a systematic and standardized basis.

NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY

In 1977 therefore, the Federal Government decided to make life-long education the basis for the nations educational policy. This decision was clearly stated in the National Policy on Education published by the Federal Government in 1977 and revised in 1981. The philosophy of education was designed to ensure that at any stage of the educational process after primary education, an individual will be able to choose between continuing his full-time studies, combining work with study, or embarking on full-time employment without excluding the prospect of resuming studies later on. It was therefore obvious that the Federal Government had resolved to enable those who can benefit from higher education to be given access to it, either through universities or correspondence courses, or open universities, or part-time and work study programmes. This idea must have been strengthened by the fact that even before any university was established in Nigeria, some notable Nigerians obtained external degrees of the University of London after taking overseas correspondence courses and studying on a part-time basis.

Although the idea of an open university was conceived during the military era, it was the civilian administration of the second Republic that got it off the ground. Thus, the National Open University of Nigeria was set up by a National Assembly Act on 22nd July 1983. Unfortunately, the life span of the University was cut short by the intervention of the military, which occurred in December 1983 and that administration decided to suspend the activities of the University in February 1984 and finally closed it down in May 1984.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ABUJA

On 19th May 1987, the National Universities Commission (NUC) formally inaugurated a Planning Committee on the proposed University of Abuja.

Based on the recommendations of the Planning Committee, the University of Abuja was established on 1st January 1988. While the University came into existence in 1988, its statutes, Decree No. 106 as amended, was signed into law in 1992 giving the University its operating legal instrument. One of the provisions of the law States that the University should undertake as part of its academic programmes distance learning and part-time courses in various disciplines to cater for the interest of the working class or those who could not benefit directly in full-time university education. Obviously, by this provision, the functions of the defunct National Open University devolved on the newly established conventional University of Abuja, which was definitely a dual mode university, comprising the conventional system and the distance learning system. Academic work began in the University in 1990 with the matriculation of the pioneers students.

LOCATION OF THE UNIVERSITY

The location of the University at Abuja, the Federal capital city of Nigeria, is in line with developments in most parts of the world. Universities have academic and cultural roles to play in a society and have become sine qua non for the greatness of a city. The University was allocated a large, well-situated piece of land covering about 11,824 hectares along the Abuja-Lokoja road by the authorities of the Federal Capital Territory. Presently, the University operates from a temporary site called "Mini Campus" located in Phase II, Gwagwalada about 55 kilometers South-West axis of Abuja. The Mini Campus has been described as physically overdeveloped by the National Universities Commission, hence the need to commence the development of the University's permanent site.

Being located in the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory, the University's climate is marked by a dry season from November to March, and a wet season from April to October. Temperatures range from 20oc to 36oc with rainfall between 1400mm and 16000mm.

The current review of the draft academic brief of the University of Abuja for the period 2004/2005 to 2013/2014 is predicated on the plan of the University to expand its academic disciplines and programmes, which has further made it compelling that development of the permanent site is given priority. This is the commitment of the University and its administration, which is being pursued vigorously and dedicatedly. Already, development of physical facilities has commenced at the permanent site, which include hostels. All new academic disciplines will be established at the permanent site.