How Well Do You Know Your Uni series: Things you probably did not know about OAU
- Motolani Dorcas Oluduro
- Jun 5
- 3 min read
I’m very sure that if anyone out there asks you what school you attend, you’d proudly shout OAU. But if the person presses further and starts asking you deep questions about OAU, you wouldn’t know jack, and “on a norms serious note” e no suppose be like that. So, pay attention and learn the following things you probably did not know about OAU:
1.OAU was not always called “OAU”:
OAU wasn’t always known as Obafemi Awolowo University. It was actually founded as University of Ife in 1961 but was later renamed in 1987 to honor Chief Obafemi Awolowo, one of Nigeria’s nationalists, and the university’s founding father.
2. OAU was designed by an Israeli architect:
OAU is known as Africa’s most beautiful campus and it’s not hard to know why. She boasts of the most beautiful campus, with mind-blowing architecture and structures, which was designed by Israeli architect, Arieh Sharon in the 1960s.
3. The Amphitheatre is the biggest oof its kind in Nigeria:
Someone said, “big not just by name” and I couldn’t agree more. The Amphitheatre in OAU, popularly called ‘Amphi’, has a seating capacity of over 5,000 people. Safe to say no other university in Nigeria comes close to this.
4. OAU’s library was one of the foremost E-libraries in Nigeria:
In the 1990s, OAU’s Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library became one of the first universities in Nigeria to implement a computerized library system. It is now considered one of the finest academic libraries in the country. It boasts modern facilities and a vast collection of both physical and digital resources.
5. OAU has zero tolerance for cultism:
OAU is one of the only Federal universities in Nigeria that can boast of a cultism- free campus today, but all this came at a very costly price. One of the darkest moments in OAU’s history occurred on July 10, 1999, when five students (The OAU five), including the Students' Union Secretary-General George Iwilade (Afrika), were tragically murdered in a cult-related attack. This incident would go down in history as a turning point in OAU's approach to cultism on her campus.
6. OAU has one of the most active Students’ Union bodies in Nigeria:
The Great Ife Students’ Union is known for its radical student activism, and aluta spirit, across the country. Over the years, the union has been suspended multiple times, including in 2007 after a series of protests turned violent. The union was recently reinstated in 2021 and is still thriving till date.
7. OAU has one of the most ‘commanding’ alumni in Nigeria:
OAU has produced some of Nigeria’s most prominent figures. From politicians like Oluremi Tinubu (the First lady of Nigeria), to renowned lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), to Mr. Akinwunmi Adesina (the President of African Development bank), to popular artistes like Fireboy DML, Asake and many more, the university’s alumni network is vast and influential, making its mark across different sectors, including law, politics, business, and entertainment.
8. OAU’s Faculty of Pharmacy was the first in any Nigerian university.
9.OAU is the second largest university in Nigeria by landmass with a landmass of 13,000 acres.
To be OAU student no be by mouth! Do you know these things?