15 Facts about the University of Benin (UNIBEN)

1. The University of Benin was established on the 23rd of November,1970.

2. It was initially known as the Midwest Institute of Technology.

3. It was established by the then-Colonel Samuel Osaigbovo-Ogbemudia-led military administration of Midwest State.

4. It gained university status on July 1, 1971, and was formally recognised by the National Universities Commission (NUC) as a federal university.

5. The name was also changed to the University of Benin in 1971.

6. UNIBEN’s main campus, Ugbowo, is situated in the heart of Benin CiCity.

7. The university has another campus located in Ekehuan.

8. UNIBEN has produced many notable alumni who have excelled in various fields, including: Godwin Obaseki (Governor of Edo State), Jim Ovia (Founder of Zenith Bank), Grace Alele-Williams (the first female Vice-Chancellor in Nigeria), Richard Mofe-Damijo (a renowned actor and former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Delta State), among many others.

9. The university started with just 109 students.

10. The university has 15 faculties , 1 college, and 3 institutes.

11. The university has been headed by one rector and 11 Vice Chancellors from inception till date.

12. The current VC is Prof. Lilian Salami, who was appointed in 2019 making her the second female VC of the university .

13. The first female Vice-Chancellor of UNIBEN was Prof. Grace Alele-Williams, who was in office from 1985 – 1992 and was the first female VC of any university in Nigeria.

14. UNIBEN was the first Nigerian university to develop indigenous software for the conduct of computer-based testing (CBT).

15. It was also the first university in South geopolitical zone of Nigeria to establish a faculty of veterinary medicine , among many regional and international recognitions.