Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education

Last updated
Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education
TypePublic
EstablishedApril, 1963
Affiliation University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Location
Owerri, Imo State
,
Nigeria

5°30′1.07413″N 7°1′26.96250″E
Website Official website

The Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, formerly the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri is located in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, Nigeria. It was established in April 1963 as the Advanced Teachers Training College by the defunct Eastern Nigeria Government on the grounds of the Old Shell Camp, Owerri. [1] It has since expanded across the Orlu Road on the banks of the Nworie River. It awards the National Certificate in Education (NCE) and the Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) and, in affiliation, with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka [2] the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) since 1984. The university is headed by Dr. (Mrs.) Stella Ngozi Lemchi, the Acting Vice-Chancellor (Administration) who was the erstwhile Provost of the college. She took over, in 2022, from Dr. Dan C. Anyanwu. [3] Dr (Mrs.) Lemchi is the second female Provost of the college, after Professor Blessing C. Ijioma. [4]

Contents

History

The college was founded in 1963 as the Advanced Teachers Training College with technical assistance from UNESCO. [5] It was charged with the responsibility of training teachers in line with the Ashby report on Higher Education in Nigeria. In 1973, via Edict No. 11 promulgated by the Administrator of East-Central State of Nigeria, Ukpabi Asika, the Teachers College became a College of Education and was named in honour of Alvan Ikoku, a teacher and educationist, founder of the first African owned secondary school in Nigeria (Aggrey Memorial Grammar School) and President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) for many years. [6]

The college started with 150 students and by 2012 the student population had grown to over 13,000, with over 600 academic staff. The students include regular undergraduates, sandwich course students, evening and weekend students and post-graduates studying the Professional Diploma in Education. In 1976, a campus of the college catering to the Department of Agriculture was established in Umuahia, now the capital of Abia State. Next was the establishment of an Orlu campus in 1981, but the multi-campus system was ended in 1987, and the college reverted to a single campus institution.

In 2007, the Federal Government took over the college and it metamorphosed into Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri. [7] The Federal Government take-over brought improved financial aid, and the college has become able to renovate old structures, build large classrooms, laboratories and hostels and expanded the staff strength. It also enabled the college to start new departments and Schools and establish new ventures.  On May 20, 2015, the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Goodluck Jonathan upgraded the school to a university to be called Alvan Ikoku University of Education. [8] However, a few months later, the Muhammadu Buhari administration put the upgrade "on hold." In October 2023, the college was finally upgraded to a University of Education by the Bola Tinubu government. [9]

Faculties

The college has six Faculties which include the:

  1. Faculty of Vocational and Technology
  2. Faculty of Specialized Education
  3. Faculty of Professional Education
  4. Faculty of Sciences
  5. Faculty of Arts
  6. Faculty of Social and Management Sciences

Principals/Provosts

Academics

The establishment of the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri in 1963, just three years after Nigeria's independence was a milestone in the annals of education in Nigeria, [1] especially the South-East. In 1984, the college became affiliated with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka to award the bachelor's degree in various subject areas. In 2023, it was upgraded to a University of Education.

The institution houses the students in hostels named alphabetically from A-G. The college has students from all over the country and several countries from West Africa, especially the Spanish speaking countries whose citizens come to study English at the International Centre for English Studies (ICES). The college has a predominantly female student population with females making up over 80%.

The Sandwich Programme caters for people pursuing a teaching career who want to improve their education. These students study during the holidays when the full-time Regular undergraduate students have dispersed, and primary and secondary schools are on break. The students have a Student Union Government (SUG) led by an elected president and a Students Representative Council (SRC), a body of elected student legislators. In spite of the dominant female population, the SUG Presidents have been males, except for 2019–2020 academic session when Comrade Ugonna Gloria Alozie won the Presidency. [11]

The institution runs demonstration centres. They are Department of Early Childhood Care Kindergarten/Nursery School, Department of Primary Education School and the School of Education Demonstration Secondary School. The Primary School was set up in 1983 and the Secondary School started in October 1994. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Nigeria</span> Federal university in Nsukka, Nigeria

The University of Nigeria, commonly referred to as UNN, is a federal university located in Nsukka, Enugu State, Eastern part of Nigeria. Founded in 1955 by Nnamdi Azikiwe who was the Governor General of Nigeria between 1960 and 1963, and first President of Nigeria between 1963 and 1966. The University of Nigeria Nsukka was formally opened on 7 October 1960. The University of Nigeria has three campuses in Enugu State–Nsukka, Enugu, and Ituku-Ozalla – and the Aba campus in Abia State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owerri</span> Capital city of Imo state, Nigeria

Owerri is the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of Igboland. It is also the state's largest city, followed by Orlu, Okigwe and Ohaji/Egbema. Owerri consists of three Local Government Areas including Owerri Municipal, Owerri North and Owerri West, it has an estimated population of 1,401,873 as of 2016 and is approximately 100 square kilometres (40 sq mi) in area. Owerri is bordered by the Otamiri River to the east and the Nworie River to the south. The Owerri Slogan is Heartland. It is also called the Las Vegas of Africa, due to the night life of the city and the numerous hotels, casino and leisure parks all over the city.

Chief Sir Ernest Emenyonu is a Nigerian academic, who is an African literature critic and professor. He was formerly head of the department of English and Literary Studies, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, in that order, through the 1980s and 1990s. He was also Provost of Alvan Ikoku College of Education, now Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, in Imo state, Nigeria (1992–1995).

Chinwe Obaji is a higher education lecturer, teacher and education administrator who was appointed to head Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Education in June 2005 as Senior Minister, and was succeeded a year later by Obiageli Ezekwesili.

Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), also known as UDUSOK, is a public research university located in the city of Sokoto, north western Part of Nigeria. It is one of the initial twelve universities founded in Nigeria by the federal government in 1975.

Alvan Azinna Ikoku was a Nigerian educationist, statesman, activist and politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal University of Technology Owerri</span> Public university in Owerri, Nigeria

The Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) is a federal government university in Owerri West, Owerri, the capital of Imo State, Nigeria. The university is bounded by the communities of Eziobodo, Ihiagwa, Obinze, Okolochi and Emeabiam. It is the premier federal university of technology in the South-East and South-South parts of Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Ilorin</span> Public Research University in Ilorin, Nigeria

University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), is a federal government-owned public research university in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. The university's main campus sits on an expansive area of land, about 15,000 hectares in the ancient city of Ilorin; making it the largest university in Nigeria and one of the largest in Africa by landmass. The university comprises 16 faculties and over 100 academic departments offering 103 programmes. It was established by a decree of the Federal Military Government of Nigeria in August, 1975. The University of Ilorin has the highest enrollment of foreign students in Nigeria. The establishment aimed to implement one of the educational directives of the Third National Development Plan, which was aimed at providing more opportunities for Nigerians aspiring to acquire university education and to generate high-level manpower, which is vital for the rapidly expanding economy. Compared to other higher institutions of learning in the country, the institution has one of the largest land areas, covering approximately 15,000 hectares of land. It is reported by Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) to be the most sought-after Nigerian university in 2021. And again in 2023, it was announced by the JAMB Head, Professor Ishaq Oloyede to be the sought-after University, for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME), making it for the 10th consecutive year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adiele Afigbo</span> Nigerian historian (1937-2009)

Adiele Eberechukwu Afigbo was a Nigerian historian known for the history and historiography of Africa, more particularly Igbo history and the history of Southeastern Nigeria. Themes emphasised include pre-colonial and colonial history, inter-group relations, the Aro and the slave trade, the art and science of history in Africa, and nation-building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imo State University</span> University in Owerri, Nigeria

The Imo State University (IMSU) in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria was established in 1981 through law No. 4 passed by the Imo State House of Assembly. The university admitted the first intake of 392 pioneer students on 23 October 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta State University, Abraka</span> Public university in Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria

The Delta State University, Abraka - popularly known as DELSU - is a State government-owned university in Nigeria with the main campus located at Abraka, Delta State and its sub-campus at Oleh. The Oleh campus was established with the 1995 Amended Edict. The university is a multiple-campus university having two campuses within a distance of about 52 km apart. Currently, with a student population of about 22,000, the university offers a range of programmes from the full-time certificate, diploma and degree programmes to part-time evening and weekend degree programmes. DELSU offers postgraduate studies up to a doctoral level. DELSU owns a staff/student counselling centre, an e-learning centre, student accommodation and sporting facilities amidst other infrastructures. It is one of over twenty-five state-owned universities which are overseen and accredited by the National Universities Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nkechi Ikpeazu</span> Nigerian politician

Nkechi Caroline Ikpeazu was the First Lady of Abia State from 29 May 2015 to 29 May 2023, as wife of the former Governor of Abia State located in the southeast of Nigeria. She is also the Founder and President of Vicar Hope Foundation, a non-profit organisation that has Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council(ECOSOC)

Celestine Onyemobi Elihe Onwuliri was an academician in the field of Parasitology. He served as the 5th Vice Chancellor of the FUTO University. He was also the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos.

Victoria Adaobi Obasi (born 14 April 1952

The Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) Library is the primary academic library for the FUTO in Nigeria. The library is adjacent to lecture rooms, laboratories and hostels. It has ICT section that provides e-resources databases that include Science Direct, Ebscohost, Research4life databases, TEEAL and other free electronic resources.

Emmanuel Alayande University of Education formerly known as Emmanuel Alayande College of Education and Oyo State College of Education also known as EAUED is a state-owned University of Education located in Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria but recently changed to a university by the Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinwe Veronica Anunobi</span> Nigerian librarian and CEO of National Library of Nigeria

Chinwe Veronica Anunobi is a Nigerian professor of library and information sciences and the chief executive officer of the National Library of Nigeria.

Peter Achunike Akah is a Nigerian professor of pharmacology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He was, several times, the head of Pharmacology Department, University of Nigeria; associate dean, School of Postgraduate Studies and dean, Students Affair of the same university. Akah is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria and a Fellow of Nigerian Academy of Science. Akah is in the editorial board of the Global Journal of Medicinal Plants Research; Tropical Journal of Natural Product Research; and African Journal of Traditional Herbal Medicine Supporters Initiative. He served as chief editor of the Journal of Medicinal Plants Research (JMPR), African Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (AJOPRED) and Continental Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences (CJPS). He was the vice chancellor of the Imo State University. Akah's publications have been cited 7200 times by other scholars, making him one of the most cited Nigerian scholars.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "History of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education". Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  2. ↑ "UNN (Alvan Ikoku Campus)". University Of Nigeria Nsukka. 2017-11-09. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  3. ↑ Nwafor (2018-07-25). "Alvan Ikoku College of Education gets new provost". Vanguard News. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  4. ↑ admin (2016-06-08). "First Female AIFCE Provost: My Best Moment is Anchoring College's 50th Anniversary". THISDAYLIVE. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  5. ↑ "History of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education". Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  6. ↑ Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education (2012). Sandwich/EWP Students Handbook. Art Publishers: Owerri.
  7. ↑ "Uncertain fate of newly designated education varsities". guardian.ng. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  8. ↑ "Alvan Ikoku Varsity Students Hail Jonathan, Onwuliri For School Upgrade". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2015-08-01. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  9. ↑ Uzoaru, Stanley (7 November 2023). "The Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education (AIFCE) has finally been upgraded to a university status". The Sun. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  10. ↑ "NAWOJ Imo State Congratulates Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education 13th Substantive Provost – 9News Nigeria". 2022-07-24. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  11. ↑ "Imo elects first female SUG President". The Nigerian Xpress. 2019-08-23. Retrieved 2021-08-29.

5°30′1.07413″N7°1′26.96250″E / 5.5002983694°N 7.0241562500°E / 5.5002983694; 7.0241562500

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.