ADDRESS BY THE ACTING VICE-CHANCELLOR OF
THE UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, PROFESSOR G.M.
EDINGTON, c.B.E.

MR CHANCELLOR, YOUR EXCELLENCY, POLICE COMMISSIONER GOM­WALK, YOUR EXCELLENCIES, MY LORDS, HONOURABLE COMMIS­SIONERS, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, UNDERGRADUATES OF THE JOS CAMPUS:

First of all, I should like to thank His Excellency Police Commissioner J. D. Gomwalk, Military Governor of the Benue Plateau State, for doing us the honour of undertaking the Official Opening of this campus of the University of Ibadan. We have found his address stimulating and thought provoking.

The University of Ibadan has received the greatest encour­agement and help from the Government and people of the Benue Plateau State and I would like to publicly acknowledge the University's indebtedness to His Excellency and his Government.

I should also like to welcome and thank most sincerely our guests who are present this morning, particularly those who have travelled from distant places. I should like, with apologies to others, to thank particularly the representatives of our sister Universities who will be delivering goodwill messages later in this ceremony. This close co-operation between Universities in Nigeria is one of the most-to me-exciting developments of recent years. By exchange of staff and/or by short term visits-many of our difficulties in areas of "manpower scarcity" can be overcome and the necessity of importing expatriate experts reduced to a minimum.

For the benefit of the 'foundation' students of this campus, I should like to say a little about the University of Ibadan. In October 1948, the now University opened its doors as a College of the University of London. The staff consisted of 3 professors and 10 lecturers in 9 departments in the Faculties


of Arts and Science. Preclinical medical training was under-taken at Yaba, Lagos until 1950 and until 1956 clinical training was undertaken in the United Kingdom. Agriculture followed in 1949 and Faculties of Education and the Social Sciences later. It was in 1962 that the College emerged as a full-fledged independent University. Since that time it has concentrated on expanding the size of the undergraduate body whilst maintaining the excellence of its teaching, (this year we have approximately 3,700 undergraduates) and emphasizing the importance of postgraduate training. Last year 52 higher degrees and over 200 certificates and Diplomas were awarded. The emphasis on postgraduate education was undertaken deliberately in order that we could supply the higher manpower needs which Nigeria so very much requires to staff her Universities and institutions of higher learning. If I may give concrete examples, in 1962 Nigerian staff members formed only about 28% of our teaching staff-today the figure is 70%, in spite of having supplied many Nigerian teachers to our sister Universities-including even the exalted position of Vice-Chancellor.

It was in 1969 that the University considered that it should expand its activities into two further major fields-namely technological training within the University and our extra-mural activities to make our services, both human and techni­cal, available in areas of need in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It was felt that such increasing development could be seen in the truest spirit of that section of the University of lbadan Act which states "it shall be the general function of the University to encourage the advancement of learning throughout Nigeria". Out of this concept has arisen the present Jos Campus and here the greatest tribute must be paid to Professor T. A. Lambo-until very recently the Vice-Chancellor of the University of lbadan. Without his drive, initiative and far-sightedness I can truthfully say that this project would never have been brought to a successful conclusion.

It was at a meeting of 16 November 1969 in the University of Ibadan at which all State Commissioners and Permanent Secretaries of Education were present that Professor T. A. Lambo indicated that the University was anxious to fulfil its role in an increasingly Federal context by extending its activities to other parts of the country. Subsequently, the University received encouraging response from the Benue Plateau State and this was vigorously pursued. Initially, it was felt that there could with advantage be stablished in Jos a centre specializing in African History and Studies which would be linked with an already established University and form part of it.

A letter from His Excellency himself dated 20 May 1970 elaborated further on broad areas of high level manpower needs of the State which the University could help to meet through extending its activities to Jos. Various Committees

advised the Vice-Chancellor in working out detallud proposals

for such an extension and in this connection tribute should be paid to Professors R. G. Armstrong, E. A. Ayandele, K. M. Barbour, D. E. U. Ekong, A. L. Mabogunje, D. C. Miller, M. 0. Oyawoye, V. A. Oyenuga, A. F. C. Ryder, T. A. Taylor and the Acting Librarians Mr K. Mahmud and Mrs Oderinde.

We must not forget the help given by the "Administration": Messrs Adamolekun, Preston, Okudu, Gbotosho and Babalola. Various delegations were sent to the Benue Plateau State to consult with the Government and following their reports intensive planning involving determination of the structure and phasing of the academic programmes, curricula design, capital costing and estimation of recurrent expenditure was undertaken. The Vice-Chancellor made a statement of intention on the expansion of activities to Jos at the June 1970 meeting of Senate and at Convocation the same year. In January 1971 after a visit to Jos by Professors Barbour, Armstrong and Oyawoye, Senate itself resolved that steps be taken to establish a campus of the University of Ibadan at Jos, capital of the Benue Plateau State. Senate


therefore requested Development and other Committees to scrutinize details of this proposal and to work towards its implementation. At the May meeting of Senate in 1971, sympathy and support for this project from our sister Univer­sities, Ahmadu Bello were announced.

On 20 June 1971 the Dean of Arts, Professor T. A. Bamgbose Chairman of the Committee on the Jos Campus Project made an interim report to Senate and on 3 July 1971, submitted the draft regulations and syllabus of the Faculty of Arts which were approved by Senate.

At its meeting on 25 October 1971, Senate empowered the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor G. M. Edington, to appoint an Acting Principal for a period of two years and agreed that a sum of money should be made available from the University's budget to be spent on recurrent expenditure incurred. At a meeting of Council on 12 November 1971, Council supported the action taken by Senate so far in the matter and noted that the Acting Vice-Chancellor intended to appoint Professor E. A. Ayandele of the Department of History, as theActing Principal of the Jos Campus and this was subsequently announced at the November Congrega­tion. May I here take this opportunity to pay tribute to the drive, devotion to duty, dedication and enthusiasm that Professor Ayandele has brought to the formation of this campus. His resource has continually surprised me and I am confident that he will make every effort to ensure the conti­nuing success of this project.

The Concessional Entrance and Scholarship Examination to Preliminary classes in Arts subjects on the Jos Campus was held on Saturday, 13 November 1971 at the following centres: Ibadan, Ilorin, Aba, Kano, Kaduna and Jos.

Finance of such a project is of primary importance and unfortunately the Jos Project had not been included in the 1970-74 quinquennial plan of the University-not even in the 1971-72 recurrent budget of this Universty. If the cam-pus was to open its doors before the next quinquennial


period 1974-78 funds had to be found from somewhere. From our planning we knew with the co-operation of the Benue Platuea State Government we could set up this Campus. There were the students available and trained Nigerian academics eager to teach them. We, or should I say, I rightly or wrongly was firmly convinced that the Jos Campus should open its doors to students as soon as possible. It was only with the strong financial support of the Benue Plateau State Government that this was possible and the campus was opened as you all know on 20 January 1972. We must express our gratitude once again to His Excellency and through him, the members of his Council and Govern­ment and also thank sincerely the devoted civil servants who have made this project possible.

The National Universities Commission has now approved this project but as yet they are unable to help financially-so for the next year or so development of the project will be difficult due to limited finances. However the University of Ibadan is determined to make this project a success and we shall have to "tighten our belts" and, in addition, seek for temporary help from outside international agencies.

It was early in November 1971 that our Chief Engineer, Mr Igiehon with the help of Mr Aina began alterations on the existing buildings that the Benue Plateau State Government had made available to us and with the tremendous assistance of Mr Miner, Secretary to the Military Government, Commis­sioner Gogwim, Ministry of Education and Mr Gani, Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works were able to complete the drastic alterations required by 20 January 1972. We now have 89 students in residence, lecture rooms, adequate laboratory space, administrative offices, a library and a bookshop-in addition to staff housing. I am full of admiration for this accomplishment. To have achieved a full fledged University Campus from its inception in 1970 to its opening in January 1972 is probably the shortest institutional gestational period on record.


Many reasons can be given for extending the activities of the University to Jos, Ibadan is in a strong position to sponsor and guide new centres of higher learning in the country and can help to ensure the orderly development of university education in Nigeria as a whole. In addition, by applying the academic standards and independence which have evolved in the University of Ibadan over the years to this Campus, it is felt that these objectives will be duly safe-guarded. We hope that this action of the University will prove to be a strong unifying role in the country. Students and staff will be drawn from different areas and new friendships, new relationships and an appreciation of the diverse dimen­sions and greatness of Nigeria will make for a greater under-standing of its problems and forge the bonds of national unity. The rapid growth in the demand for education, espe­cially at Secondary School level-an increase of 300 per cent in the pupil intake has been recorded in some areas over a six-year period-has created an unprecedented demand for qualified teachers. Supply of graduates in some areas of Nigeria is at present very low and everything must be done to encourage the speeding up of this process. In addition to teachers in primary and secondary schools, graduates are going to be required in many fields in the administrative and business world and in the armed forces. The economy, although primarily agricultural, is well diversified and the necessary manpower must be available to ensure much desired rapid, social and economic change. I do not think, therefore, that we can produce too many graduates at this stage of the country's development. In addition to all these reasons, the University, it is hoped, will decentralize some of the undergraduate teaching programmes it is at present undertaking at Ibadan.

Jos lies in an area of exceptional cultural and linguistic diversity and it is hoped that the campus will become a centre for scholars to take an interest in a better under-standing of the peoples, cultures and economics of different


parts of the country. The Campus will also provide greater facilities for research into the large North-Eastern half of Nigeria and other areas where such academic activities have not been hitherto undertaken. For all these reasons, therefore, I think we can justify the foundation of this Campus.

With regard to the Jos Campus itself, I must emphasize that it is an integral part of the University of Ibadan and there will be close collaboration with Ibadan in all aspects of the academic life of the community. This Campus, however, will not be a mere copy of the University of Ibadan but will have an independent physical identity and I hope will learn from mistakes which have been made in the parent University. Far too large a proportion of our subvention has to be expended on non-academic activities and we hope that in the Jos Campus we shall be able to remedy this. We hope we can make economies in the cost of administration, catering and maintenance. I must make it quite clear, however, that as we make economies, there will be no lowering of academic standards and I must also emphasize that any student completing his education in the Jos Campus will have an Ibadan degree which will maintain the reputation of that degree which has been internationally recognized as one of excellence for many years. This high reputation of the University of Ibadan is, of course, a great help in the recruit­ment of members of staff to this Campus and is one of the reasons why the extension of the University of Ibadan to other areas of the country is so important.

The first phase of the academic life of this Campus will be on the production of teachers and administrators with emphasis on the development of the Faculties of Arts, Science and Education in the first few years. Other facilities will be provided as soon as finance becomes available. Ultimate financing depends upon the University of Ibadan obtaining funds from the National Universities Commission which receives its monies from the Federal Government of Nigeria and this I have already mentioned.


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