Top 10 Biggest Universities In Nigeria By Landmass - Public & Private

Nigeria is a rich country in Africa. Beyond Nigeria, people know the nation as the most populated in the African continent. However, this is not all one can associate with the country. There are lots of natural resources and workforce in this nation to keep it ahead of its peers. Hence, there are high potentials for businesses both far and near.

While in some countries the population density of the nation could be a problem, in Nigeria, when harnessed well, it should be a blessing. We are blessed with lots of youths who possess much energy and the determination to work.

These youths believe that the doors of higher institutions are the means to make more paycheck, to become your boss, to become wealthy, and to avoid the stigma of illiteracy. This mindset added to the increased advantages that come with the type of higher institution one chooses furthers the growth of university entrants.

Yearly, the Joint Admission Matriculation Board sees a lot of individuals from different sides of the country clamoring for a chance through its channel to become eligible for admission into different academies in Nigeria.

According to JAMB, the number continues to climb in the millions, annually. Of course, Universities are not the only ones to reap this mass of entrants, but as the board and other studies prove, varsities remain the most sorts for.

As comes with the law of demand and supply, universities are much more abundant in staffs, size, and population. You can always figure out the university that has the largest volume of entrants based on the hectares of land it occupies, its infrastructure and number of teachers.

Despite how easy this task might look in writing, till 2012, the need to carry out an official study regarding the population density of each university had not risen. One would argue that his affiliated institute was admitting more students than the other and based on lack of evidence to prove the point, the issue would die a natural death.

However, this is no longer the case as the strike by the University’s Academic Staff Union (ASUU) in 2012 made occasion for the need to arise. For those who are not aware of what this body stands for. ASUU is a Nigeria Union that covers all the academic staff of the Federation of State and Federal Universities: the public sector.

The government rose up a committee to check the impact of the strike action on students and the country at large. This move was to see if the Body of Education deserved a listening ear based on their demands and to find a reasonable solution to their problems.

The committee’s title was Needs Assessment Committee and was headed at the time by the former INEC head, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. While they based their research on the public sector alone, the findings they made was an eye-opener. According to the committee, over 1.2 million students at the time were doing their programs within the tertiary institute. Among this educates, 85% were undergraduates. By now, this data must have added.

Based on the opening made by the Needs Assessment Committee, interested folks have committed to doing more research regarding population and university landmass calculation in acres and hectares respectively.

Today, we have gathered the information needed to list out the top 10 biggest universities in Nigeria by landmass, from the Public and private sector.

TOP 10 BIGGEST UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA BY LANDMASS (Acres and Hectares)

1. University of Ilorin (UNILORIN)

The University of Ilorin is a federal institution you can find in Kwara State, in the city with the same name. The University came into existence in the year 1975 and had since gathered a population density of 30,000. At its inception, the school was just a college of education locked 500 km from Abuja and 300 km from Lagos. Dr. T.N. Tamuno was the one assigned to supervise the institution at the time. He was the one to witness the first admission of 200 students and their graduation from the school. However, over the years, the institution has endured a steady climb in population, size, and development.

Presently, the academy is no longer a college but a full-fledged university with 185329.04 Acres (75,000 hectares) of land to its name. While in its inception it began with just three faculties offering training courses to 200 students, now it has over 15 faculties providing educational services to thousands of interested students.

Many innovative ideas are manifesting in the university. If you are a student of this school, then you can attest to the mounting of a water Dam not too long ago. A water treatment plant followed the realization of this project to ensure that its student and campus population at large, can have clean water.

Also, the administration of the academy is looking toward constructing a rail track to promote the ease of transportation for students and workers between the town and campus. There are a lot of exciting

Being the biggest on the list, the University of Ilorin has widened its academic reach to accommodate both and primary and secondary school, an Educational Technology Center, an Institute of Education, and a Science Laboratory Technology known as SLT. Even the institution’s Library is not just for educatees; the public can use it. Clearly, there is a lot to learn from other universities from the University of Ilorin.

2. Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU Ile-ife)

OAU is the second biggest university on our list. The federal government is the one behind the establishment and management of this institution. You can find this academy in the old city of Osun State, Ile-Ife

After the federal government established this school in 1961, it started its first admission and training in 1962 under the banner of University of Ife. The current name it now bears was awarded to it in 1987 in honor of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

The motto of the school is for learning and culture, based on that, the school offers admission to post-graduates and undergraduates in several disciplines. You can go for the natural science, medical science, art and more.

Obafemi Awolowo University stands second in our list of top 10 biggest universities in Nigeria by landmass because of its 32123.7 Acres (13,000 hectares) campus. The institute has continued to grow in mass and size. Right now, it houses 35,000 students.

3. University of Abuja (UNIABUJA)

As the name implies, UNIABUJA is located in the heart of the Federal capital of Nigeria, Abuja. This institution is unique based on its mode of operation. During the year, 1992, the federal government established and accredited this university to run two methods of education: distant and conventional education system.

With the two medium of operation, students can either train through the university from a distance or go to school in the usual manner. In the past, the educational ground experience lots of challenges and issues. However, presently, it is ranked among the top ten varsities in Nigeria. A rating that was carried out by the University Commission of Nigeria (NUC)

Formerly, you can find the university in its small campus. Those days, the number of occupants of its building weighed much on the space. The logical thing they needed to do if they wanted to keep the number of students in their structure and encourage more to come was to expand, and they did. Now the school owns a large campus which is the reason for it ranking third on our list.

While on the main campus, the university still runs its mini-campus to widen its capacity. Presently, the institution boasts of 11,284 hectares of land, housing its education buildings and residential structure.

Uniabuja has the motto for Unity and Scholarship and has an affiliation with NUC. For a long time, this institution has been blessed a lot by the performance of its faculty of law. Till date, people know the educational ground for producing exceptional lawyers who have won numerous law accolades in the international and national background.

For those who are curious enough and would like to check out where the old campus or the now mini campus is located, the site is at Gwgwalada, Abuja, by the airport road. On that note, the new grounds of the university is by the Abuja, Kaduna, Lokoja road and is of  29217.7403 (11,824 hectares) of land as earlier stated.

Though a majority of the school has moved to the new site, some faculties are still using the old campus, namely: law, social science, and Education.

4. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB)

Most people in the country knows this institution as FUAAB. It is a Federal government establishment, and since its creation, the school has continued to function under the administration of the government.

Located in Abeokuta the capital city of Ogun State, the school was not always standing alone. Before its creation in 1988, in the year 1984, the governing body of the country felt it necessary to merge FUAAB with three other universities.

Back then, these four schools were Universities of Technology, and though they lasted for four years as one body, they could no longer coexist. Hence, on the specified date, January 1988, the coalition was broken and the Federal University of Technology, Abeokuta was changed to FUAAB alongside that of Benue state. The two public higher institutions became the first Agricultural universities that exist in their region.

With the motto Knowledge for Development, the school has continued to empower the youths of this country with quality education. Based on the efforts of the administration, the population density of the school has advanced significantly.

There are about 1,447 academic staffs in the academy, followed by 15,095 undergraduate and 1,640 post-graduates students. The small dent to the image of FUAAB is its rural setting. The school owns a rural campus that houses over 18,000 individuals.

Despite this setback, one can hardly hold grudges for the admin when the academic performance and living condition of the school is considered. FUAAB holds on its belt, about 179 educational programs chaired by quality staff that has the backing of good academic facilities. For this reason, thousands of aspiring students place the school in their list of choices during JAMB examination.

To further ensure the welfare of its workers and students, the university works with the NUC. Now, to the reason why this school made it to our top10 biggest universities in Nigeria as number four. FUAAB has 24710.54 acres (10,000 hectares) of land to its name. Based on the number of individuals in the school, that is enough space to encourage more development.

5. Ahmadu Bello University (ABU, Zaria)

Most people in the country know this institute as ABU. It’s the most popular in the Northern lands of Nigeria. Luckily, it is also the fifth on our list.

ABU is mainly a research institute that the FG of Nigeria created and runs. You can find the school in Zaria, a city in Kaduna State. The government established this academy in 1962 with the former name University of Northern Nigeria.

Since its inception, the educational ground has continued to grow and now owns two campuses. As part of its initiative to promote educational excellence and the welfare of those within it was, ABU continues to partner with lots of organization. ASUU, NUC, AAU, and ACU are all affiliated to this institution.

There are about 49,436 students within the walls of this iconic school. This figure says much of the academic performance of this school which owns 17297.38 acres (7000 hectares) of land to its name. Unlike the statistics we have gathered for its peers above, the school should be more crowdy for the existing space.

However, this fact does not limit the number of secondary school leavers who want an opportunity to learn within the walls of ABU. Every year the figure keeps adding, as more entrants are admitted. The school in a bid to hold the piece together and ensure that people can still see the evidence of their slogan, the school owns a broad base of staff. There are about 4,363 non-academic staff and 1,815 academic workers in ABU.

On the bright side, the university owns two campuses. The main campus is in Samaru and houses most of the faculties and the administration body of the institution. The second you can find in Kongo which the admin uses to run the faculty of Administration and Law.

6. Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO)

As the name suggests, you can find this school in Owerri, Imo State. The school sits on 10002.826 acres of land. It is for this reason that FUTO sits on number 6 of our Top 10. It is the highest tech university in the Southeast and South-south. The school runs an urban campus, and while it started with just 225 students in 1980, it now houses over 22,000 pupils.

7. The University of Benin (UNIBEN)

The University of Benin follows FUTO closely in landmass and has extensive farmland that is over 200,000 hectares which some chieftains in the community around it are wrestling in court to take. You can find the school in Edo State. The federal government owns this school, and they created it in the year 1970.

8. University of Ibadan (UI)

This school made it to our list of top 10 biggest Nigerian Universities by their landmass through the ownership of 2550.1275 of land. This school is the oldest in the country. It started little like most of the federal educational establishment and now holds over 33,000 students in its walls. As its name suggests, you can find  UI in Ibadan, Oyo State

9. The American University of Nigeria (AUN)

AUN is the first on our list for the private sector. This institution is unique. It is the first of its kind in the entire Sub-Saharan, Africa. Being styled to be an American school in all ramification of an education system, as a student, you get to experience magnificent edifices, environment, facilities, and staffs.

There is another like it in Africa, the American University of Egypt. They both are excellent. Most foreign people interested in our education system know of AUN. In fact, several have lauded the school, and some have sent their children to attend this academic ground. One of the notable figures in Africa whose son passed through this school is the president of Uganda.

AUN made it our list of Top 10 schools based on landmass because it has succeeded in owning over 2,400 acres of land. According to the stipulation of some researchers, this is more than twice the size of one of the famous Academic grounds in Nigeria: University of Lagos (UNILAG)

10. Redeemers University Nigeria (RUN)

This institution is of Christian background. RCCG, a rapidly growing church is the one behind the establishment and management of this institute. The school has been making exploit and is among the top private universities in the country. Recently, it won an accolade among 15 prestigious higher institutions in Africa.

The current land it occupies is 2,006 acres which make RUN the 10^th in the Top 10 biggest university in Nigeria by Landmass.

CONCLUSION

In summary of the above, the biggest university in Nigeria by landmass is the uniersity of Ibadan. However, schools are still expanding their lands so we shall keep this post updated should there be further changes in the sizes of the above universities. You should know that as we get more size data regarding our Nigerian Universities, this page is subjected to change. If you have any information to aid our cause, please we encourage you to express yourself in the comment section. We need facts. Thank you.