Organization

The University of Benin was founded in 1970. It started as an Institute of Technology and was accorded the status of a full-fledged University by the National Universities Commission (NUC) on 1st July, 1971. In his Budget Speech in April 1972, the then Military Governor of Mid-Western State, Col. S. O. Ogbemudia (then also visitor to the University) formally announced the change of the name of the Institute of Technology to the University of Benin. On 1st April, 1975 the University at the request of the State Government, was taken over by the Federal Government and became a Federal University. Today, the University has continued to grow from strength to strength with a number of Faculties, Departments, Institutes and Units. Following NUC’s directives, the University experimented with the Collegiate System in 1991/92 and 1992/93.

FACULTIES

Faculty of Arts
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Engineering
Faculty of Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Management sciences
Faculty of Life Sciencess
Faculty of Pharmacy
Faculty of Physical Sciences
Faculty of Social Sciences
School of Basic Medical Sciences
School of Dentistry
School of Medicine

In January 2006, the Federal Government approved the take off of the College of Petroleum and Gas Engineering of the University of Benin at Effurun, near Warri, in Delta State, with the initial population of 100 students in two departments; Petroleum Engineering and Gas Engineering. The University offers courses at various levels: Postgraduate, Undergraduate, Diploma and Certificate. Presently, the total student enrollment stands at over 40,000 made up of both full-time and part-time students shared among the various Faculties. In 1985, Grace Alele-Williams became Nigeria's first female vice-chancellor when she was appointed to head the University of Benin. She served as its vice-chancellor until 1991. The University is also famous for ground breaking research work with other universities around the world and with both local and international bodies such as USAID, Ford Foundation, UNCF (United Negro College Fund), RMRDC (Raw Materials Research & Development Council of Nigeria) amongst others in the areas of Agriculture, Public Health and Engineering to name a few.

Library

The University of Benin Library known as John Harris Library is an academic resource centre established to cater for the research, learning and teaching needs of the academic community. Since its inception in 1970, the Library has grown in leaps and bounds in response to new developments in information science and technology and other developments in the University.

John Harris Library is situated at Ugbowo Campus along the main drive between the students’ complex popularly called "Basement", and the students’ Halls of Residence. Also, it stands directly opposite the Clinical Students Hostel, popularly called "Medical Hostel".

The John Harris Library building has three levels namely:

The Basement
The Ground Floor and
The First Floor

The Basement houses the Bindery, the Reprography, the Audio-Visual Section, the Archival Section, and the Canteen.

The Security Post, Journal Unit, Waiting Area, Readers' Conveniences, Checkpoint, Catalogue Cabinets, Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) points, Reference Desk (Ask-a-Librarian), Reference Section, Circulation Section, Acquisitions Section, Serials Section, Cataloguing and Classification Section (Workroom), and the administrative offices are all located on the Ground floor. While the Open Shelves, Special Collections Section, Reserved Unit, popularly called Textbook Collection Unit or TC, Pharmacy Library, Management Sciences Library and Study Carrels are on the First floor.

John Harris Library comprises:

the Main Library
the Library Extension, which houses the Donald Partridge e-Learning Centre, the MTNF UniversitiesConnect e-Library, and a reading area
Faculty Libraries, and
the Ekehuan Campus Library

John Harris Library, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. P.M.B. 1154

Organization

Library