Igbinedion University Okada Marks 27 Years of Pioneering Private Higher Education in Nigeria

Nigeria’s first private university, Igbinedion University Okada (IUO), marked its 27th Founder’s Day on Saturday, May 16, 2026, with a powerful celebration of its legacy and a bold vision for the future.

The highlight of the day was the insightful Founder’s Day Lecture delivered by Dr. Sam Ikoku, titled “Keeping the University Dream in a Fragile Ecosystem.”

Dr. Ikoku praised the visionary founder, His Excellency Sir Chief Dr. Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, Esama of Benin Kingdom, for establishing IUO in 1999 and transforming higher education in Nigeria. He challenged the University to embrace a University 2.0 Model built on innovation, financial resilience, academic excellence, and technological advancement.

In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye' PhD, FAS, reflected on the University’s remarkable growth now offering over 96 accredited programmes across 7 colleges and 3 schools. He highlighted expanded international collaborations, strengthened entrepreneurial education, digital literacy, and ongoing infrastructure projects. The Chancellor, represented by the Deputy Chancellor Chief Dr. Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion, commended the University for maintaining full accreditation of all programmes including Medicine, Law, and Engineering, while introducing new cutting-edge programmes in Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Renewable Energy Engineering.

“As Nigeria’s first private university, you do not merely have history — you have responsibility.” said Dr. Sam Ikoku. The 27th Founder’s Day ended with renewed optimism and a strong commitment to build on IUO’s legacy of academic excellence and national development.