http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/48 Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:42:45 GMT 2026-04-08T16:42:45Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1835 HISTORY OF PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA, 1979-2015 AKINWALE, FEHINTOLA TUNBOSUN The involvement of the private sector in the provision of university education is a global phenomenon. Previous studies on private universities in Nigeria have focused largely on the pedagogy and policies, with little attention paid to their historicity. This study was, therefore, designed to examine the history of private universities in Nigeria, with a view to investigating their growth, contributions and challenges from 1979, when the first major attempt at establishing private universities was made, to 2015, when private universities witnessed massive expansion. The historical approach was adopted, while the interpretive design was used. Primary and secondary sources were utilised. Six universities were purposively selected across the six geopolitical zones: Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo (Southwest), Madonna University, Okija (Southeast), Igbinedion University, Okada (South south), AL-Qalam University, Katsina (North west), American University of Nigeria, Yola (North east) and Baze University, Abuja (FCT). Indepth interviews were conducted with 129 purposively selected respondents aged between 25 and 91, due to their knowledge of private university education. They were 16 proprietors, 68 principal officers, 11 members of the National Universities Commission and 34 members of the hostcommunities. Secondary sources were books, journals and other relevant publications. Data were historically analysed. From 1979 to 1984, private universities founded by individuals and religious bodies were not gazetted by the government, hence, were proscribed by the Major General Muhammadu Buhari military administration by decree 19 of 1984. Between 1984 and 1999, private university enterprise was marred by stringent economic situations of Structural Adjustment Programme and political instability. Following the advent of democratic government in 1999 and pressures from religious and corporate organisations, General Abdulsalam Abubakar’s administration, on the 10th of May 1999, granted approval and operational licenses to three private universities: Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo; Madonna University, Okija and Igbinedion University, Okada. Between 1999 and 2015, there were 60 private universities in Nigeria: 28 owned by individuals and 32 by religious organisations. The emergence of private universities brought about certain modifications in the educational policy in Nigeria, such as recognition of private sector in the provision of university education and the inculcation of entrepreneurial skill acquisition programmes/trade subjects in the curriculum. Private universities contributed to socio-economic development by providing opportunities for employment, capacity building, increased accessibility; and diversification into ventures and extension services and urbanisation of the host-communities. They also played a prominent role in research innovations, such as Solar Energy Research and Application Centre (Bowen University, Iwo) and Africa’s Centre for Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, such as Ebola Virus, Monkey Pox and Lassa Fever at Redeemer’s University, Ede. Relatively high tuition fees, low students enrolment, insufficient academics, underfunding, deduction of tithe from the source and problem of land feud with host-community, were some of the challenges that confronted the private universities. The participation of the private sector in the expansion of university education from 1979 to 2015 brought about significant socio-economic development and innovations to higher education in Nigeria. While private universities experienced tremendous growth in this period, they were also confronted by numerous challenges. Thu, 01 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1835 2022-12-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1833 THE PRISON SERVICE IN COLONIAL WESTERN NIGERIA, 1872-1960 KOHOL, Sylvester The establishment of prisons in colonial Western Nigeria was a social measure to curb criminality. Scholarly works exist on the prisons system in postcolonial Nigeria, but less on the colonial period. This study was, therefore, designed to examine the prisons service in colonial Western Nigeria, with a view to historicising and analysing their operations between 1872, when the first colonial prison was established and 1960, when Nigeria gained independence from the British. The historical approach was adopted, while the interpretive design was used. Primary and secondary sources were utilised. The primary sources included archival materials and oral interviews. Archival records were collected from the Nigeria National Archives, Ibadan; and the National Archives, Kew Gardens, London. Annual Reports, Chief Secretary Office papers, Provincial and Divisional Colonial papers, Government Gazettes, Intelligence Reports, Assessment Reports and newspapers were utilised. Interviews were conducted with 40 persons, aged between 50 and 98, who were purposively selected for their knowledge of the workings of the prison service of colonial Western Nigeria in Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Akure, Benin, Uromi and Ilesa. These were five academics, 10 local historians, 10 community leaders, 10 retired prison officers, three retired police officers and two retired civil servants. Secondary sources included journals, books, memoirs, theses and dissertations. Data were subjected to historical analysis. The prisons service was one of the fundamental units of the colonial justice system used by the British colonial administration to consolidate her stronghold on Nigeria. The colonial prison system demonstrated that there was a strong connection among the various sectors of the colonial administration. Between 1872 and 1920, the colonial administrators succeeded in creating two types of prison service, the Government and Native Authority Prisons, with headquarters in Lagos. The system, however, was punitive rather than reformative. There were no special reformative programmes, such as counselling and vocational training in Ikoyi, Ibadan and Abeokuta prisons, which had high number of inmates. There was a vast level of segregation and racism within the prison service, especially in the Lagos and Abeokuta prisons. Despite the several penal regulations that were established between 1920 and 1954, the prison service still gave preferential treatments to European inmates. They were allocated special uniform, meals and accommodation. However, the service contravened the universal prison system as the elderly, women and young offenders, in spite of their obvious needs, were never given any special treatment. From 1954 to 1960, there was a gradual shift of the penal administrative leadership from the British colonialists to Nigerians. Throughout the colonial period, there was no exclusive female prison built to accommodate the female inmates; rather, they were accommodated on make-shift arrangement within the confines of the larger prison. The colonial historical antecedents of the prison service in Western Nigeria created a racial structure within the prison system in the country, which is now known as the Nigerian Correctional Service. However, the administrative pattern and procedure of prison service did not reflect the reformative purpose for which the institution were established. Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1833 2022-02-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1830 CHANGING IDENTITIES AND INTER-GROUP RELATIONS AMONG THE AROGBO-IJO AND APOI OF ONDO STATE, NIGERIA, 1915-2007 GEORGE, FELIX The Arogbo-Ijo and Apoi are sub-groups of Ijo of the Niger Delta, located in the Western Delta region of Ondo State, Nigeria. Existing studies on the Arogbo-Ijo and Apoi have focused largely on issues of origins, economic and political developments of each group, but paid little attention to how the changing identities of these two groups have affected their relationship. This study was, therefore, designed to examine the changing identities and inter-group relations among the Arogbo-Ijo and Apoi from 1915, when they were brought under Ondo Province, to 2007, when a violent conflict occurred between them, with a view to analysing the economic and political dynamics of their relationship. The historical method was adopted, while the interpretative design was used. Primary and secondary sources were utilised. Primary sources included archival materials, namely, government gazettes, Intelligence Reports, magazines and newspapers from the National Archives, Ibadan. Oral interviews were conducted with 96 purposively selected key informants from Arogbo-Ijo (58), Apoi (26), Okitipupa (3), Ondo (2) and Akure (7), comprising 28 community leaders, 29 civil servants, 18 politicians, nine fish traders, three palm wine tappers, four religious leaders, four lecturers and one canoe-carver, aged between 40 and 97, due to their knowledge of Arogbo-Ijo and Apoi relations. Secondary sources included books, journals, and doctoral theses, sourced from the libraries of the University of Ibadan; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; University of Benin; and University of Port Harcourt. Data were subjected to historical analysis. The Arogbo-Ijo migrated to their present location with the Gbaraun identity, which later changed to Ukparama, and thereafter to Arogbo-Ijo. Though still Ijo-speaking, they also became fluent in Yoruba. While the Apoi and Ijo cultural traits remained intact, the linguistic identity changed to Yoruba. The British rule, which brought them under the same administrative umbrella, namely, Ondo Province (1915) and Ese-Odo District Council (1955), introduced new changes that affected their hitherto existing economic and political relationship. In 1955, the Arogbo-Ijo wards, Ukpe and Erubiri, changed to ‘Ijaw-Arogbo’, while the Apoi wards, Kiribo and Barate, changed to ‘Ijaw-Apoi’ in 1976. From the colonial period, the Arogbo-Ijo and Apoi were entangled in economic and political conflicts. There were conflicts of ownership and control of resources. For instance, the Apoi’s claim of rights to fishing ponds located in Arogbo-Ijo resulted in seizure of fishing traps between 1970 and 1980. In 1998, 2004 and 2007, there were boundary conflicts occasioned by Apoi’s claim over Osari-Ugbo and Igangbo, which are Arogbo-Ijo’s communities. The creation of local government areas in 1955 and 1976 led to conflicts on the sharing of political offices that were conceded to the two groups. This necessitated the 1979 Accord which collapsed in 1983 due to mutual distrust. The 1996 Accord sustained the peace until 2007, when a violent conflict led to the destruction of houses. The historical and linguistic homogeneity of the Arogbo-Ijo and the Apoi, from 1915 to 2007, proved to be insufficient unifying factors that could prevent political rivalry over contestation for space and power. Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1830 2022-02-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1828 PROVISIONING THE ARMED FORCES IN COLONIAL NIGERIA, 1914-1960 ADENIYI, OLUWASEGUN THADDAEUS Provisioning is an important aspect of military mobilisation that deals with stores and supply. Available studies on the Armed Forces in Nigeria during the colonial period have paid more attention to personnel, training, mobilisation and battles than to provisioning. This study was, therefore, designed to examine the politics of provisioning the Armed Forces in colonial Nigeria, with a view to analysing military food supplies during the First World War (1914-1918), the InterWar years (1919-1939), the Second World War (1939-1945) and the Post-War period (1946- 1960). The historical approach was adopted, while the interpretive design was used. Primary and secondary sources were utilised. Primary sources were archival materials such as Annual Reports, Government gazettes, files on export trade and local foodstuffs, and tender for supply of locally produced foodstuffs obtained from the national archives in Ibadan, Enugu and Kaduna. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 purposively selected respondents who had adequate knowledge of the military food supplies: 15 military personnel, five government administrators and 10 historians, aged between 34 and 81. Secondary sources were books, journals, monographs, unpublished theses and research projects accessed from the university libraries at Ibadan, Zaria, Nsukka and Lagos. Data were subjected to historical analysis. Food provisioning was strategic to the prosecution of The First World War and II, leading to the neglect of the civilian population. During the First World War (1914-1918), Nigeria, being the headquarters of the West African Frontier Force, bore the burden of provisioning the Allied Forces. The provisioning during this period was effected by the Department of Public Works. There was periodic shortage of food supplies in the Inter-War years from 1919 to 1939, though it did not attract the same magnitude of attention and organisation as the First World War. Food supply was not satisfactory and prices were very high. During the First World War (1939-1945), provisioning the armed forces in West Africa was centrally controlled by the Resident Minister in Achimota, Ghana. Annual estimates were made by the Supply Centre on military food requirements in consultation with the West African War Council. The end of the First World War in 1945 gave rise to demobilisation and reduction in manpower, thereby easing the pressure on military food requirements. The world food crisis between 1946 and 1948 adversely affected military supplies, reducing the availability of food supply. It was not until the 1950s that the food production and supply to the military became stabilised up to the period of Nigeria’s independence in 1960. Provisioning the armed forces in colonial Nigeria was an expensive national project due to the two world wars that occurred during the period as well as the Great Depression and World Food Crisis that occurred during the Inter-War years and Post-War period, respectively. Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1828 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z