The University of Ibadan (UI) has announced the introduction of new faculties and innovative academic programmes aimed at expanding opportunities for students and strengthening the institution’s position as Nigeria’s leading university.
The announcement was made by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Oyebode Adebowale, during the 77th Foundation Day Ceremony held on Monday, November 17, 2025.
Adebowale reiterated the university’s commitment to producing highly skilled graduates equipped to address national and global challenges.
“Our goal is to increase the number of PhD outputs every academic session while ensuring our undergraduate programmes remain cutting-edge and globally competitive,” the VC said.
The VC stated that the University Senate had approved the creation of two additional faculties: the Faculty of Nursing and the Faculty of Computing, as well as the establishment of the Department of Aeronautics and Aerospace Engineering in the Faculty of Technology. He further announced that several new programmes have been submitted for accreditation by the National Universities Commission (NUC), including B.Sc Social Work, B.Ed Educational Technology, B.Sc Ed Computer Science, and B.Eng Biomedical Engineering for the 2025/26 academic session.
Also, programmes in the Faculty of Computing, B.Sc Software Engineering, B.Sc Data Science, B.Sc Cyber Security, and B.Sc Information and Communication Technology have been submitted to NUC for resource verification, in preparation for accreditation, complementing the already existing B.Sc Computer Science programme.
“These new programmes reflect our unwavering commitment to innovation, research, and quality education, positioning our graduates as leaders in their fields,” the VC noted.
Adebowale also reported on the university’s ongoing successes in both undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
During the week-long convocation ceremonies, a total of 5,900 undergraduate students received degrees, with 448 graduating with First Class Honours. In the postgraduate segment, 2,690 students earned academic Master’s degrees, 273 were awarded Professional Master’s degrees, and 487 candidates received their Ph.D. degrees, with the Faculty of Education leading with 137 doctoral graduands. Highlighting the university’s international standing, the VC emphasized that despite funding challenges faced by Nigerian universities, UI has maintained its leadership position. The latest Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026 placed UI as the best in Nigeria and in the 801–1000 global band among 2,191 universities across 115 countries.
“This achievement is a testament to the foresight, commitment, and hard work of successive administrations, our faculty, and staff,” he said.
