By Toyin Falola
Ajayi Crowther University is one of the few Nigerian universities that are focused on education wrapped in the garments of morality. The university typifies a mission of molding into existence, through its processes, future leaders who meld intellectual accomplishment with sterling ethical values. Since its licensing by the National Universities Commission in 2005, the institution has continued to grow in size, influence, and academic capacity. This article examines the historical roots, development processes, and social impact that have defined the emergence of Ajayi Crowther University as a modern citadel of learning. I wrote this as a prelude to my Convocation Lecture on November 26, 2025.
The birth of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, can be conveniently traced to the introduction of Christianity and Western education into Nigeria. The University was named after Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, who molded the West African educational and religious life. It will not be out of place to state that Bishop Crowther was a crusader of literacy through his translation of the Bible into Yoruba. This value alone opened the doors of the Anglican Church to educational involvement, as the Church sent its missionaries to establish primary and secondary schools across different parts of Southwestern Nigeria.
As the nucleus of national development gravitated towards higher education, the Church of Nigeria-Anglican Communion consented to rekindle its interest in university education through a faith-based private university that would uphold the intellectual standard set by Crowther and remain true to its Christian ethos. The actualization of the dream began to find practical expression during the 1990s when Anglican planners decided that the university should champion academic standards and facilitate the pursuit of knowledge in an atmosphere of moral discipline and spiritual development. Oyo was adopted as the location of the proposed institution not just for its historic eminence as the seat of a Yoruba Empire, but also because the sprawling land hitherto occupied by St. Andrews College of Education, an institution with equal Anglican pedigree in education, was available. This circumstance, therefore, consolidated the link between the Church’s antecedent and current endeavors to produce well-rounded scholars. In so doing, Ajayi Crowther University keeps alive in memory a missionary whose life changed the course of history while attending to the needs of Nigeria’s modern-day youths.
Ajayi Crowther University was thus well-planned and driven by the need to have a morally responsible academic environment in Nigeria. When the vision had been formalized by the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, planning committees were established to address the core aspects of curriculum development, infrastructural needs, staffing, and regulatory approval. For its permanent site, the Church had underlined the need for revival at the historic site of St Andrew’s College, Oyo, one of the oldest teacher-training institutions in Nigeria. This way, the new university would inherit cultures of scholarship and discipline already in place at the site. A formal application was, therefore, made to the National Universities Commission, and upon satisfying all quality benchmarks, Ajayi Crowther University obtained its license to operate on January 7, 2005.
The mission statement was, predictably, equally terse: to provide qualitative education marked by Christian values, leading to the production of graduates of a stamp above reproach, in character, leadership, and commitment to service to society. In addition, the original mandate included a thrust rooted in Nigerians at home and abroad’s concern about the erosion of moral values and the deteriorating standards of public institutions in the country. It was in this light that the promoters saw Ajayi Crowther University from the very beginning as a model of how private universities should be run – academically robust and sound, yet with the added value of character molding that would ensure graduates were leaders who would give back to society. This included, among other early commitments, investment in faculty, libraries, hostel accommodation, and, most importantly, partnerships with Church groups around the country. These served to underpin the premium that the university has always placed, from the very beginning, on character formation alongside academic achievement, as enshrined in its stated belief that education must prepare students not just for a job, but for a life worth living.
What started in 2005 as a relatively humble institution has grown gradually and strategically into the position that Ajayi Crowther University occupies today in Nigeria’s educational hierarchy. The University began operations in 2005 with some students in a few academic programmes, after which capacity was expanded through continuous investment in infrastructure, faculty development, and accreditation. That small university, with a few available resources, is what is celebrated today, with several facilities: Law, Engineering, Education, Sciences, Natural Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
This is evident in every aspect of the university: from the well-equipped lecture theatres, up-to-date laboratories and ICT facilities, comfortable students’ hostels, to a constantly expanding, now electronically enabled, library. The university has created a sound disciplinary system, supported by a faith atmosphere in which prayers and daily lessons in character building have always been part of a student’s routine. In recent years, Ajayi Crowther University has, however, shifted to an entrepreneurship-driven learning model, establishing industry linkages so that, upon graduation, students will be more employable. Its rather combative participation in inter-university debates, games, and other academic competitions has given it some national laurels and hopes to scale higher to better its image.
Twenty years after its establishment, Ajayi Crowther University has remained germane to the process of educational development in our society. In the same vein, the need to infuse ethics and morals into people’s lives also remains apposite. This institution has continued to impact society positively through numerous graduates who are not only academically qualified but also morally upright. These ACU graduates have engaged in innovation, teaching, business, entrepreneurship, media, and civic life, among many other areas, and their contributions to national development efforts are worthy of commendation. Community development is actively encouraged through outreach programs, collaborative partnerships, and platforms for community capacity building in Oyo and beyond. The institution promotes research aimed at solving problems in agriculture, business, technology, and the humanities, among others. It is a critical contribution to national policy formulations and workable solutions to the teething problems of this dynamic country. This is but a perfect example of this fine University’s commitment to the grooming of ethical leadership in a nation deeply ravaged by corruption and maladministration.
Ajayi Crowther University inaugurated Professor Ebunoluwa Olufemi Oduwole as the institution’s fifth Vice Chancellor and the first female head in its history in October 2025. Professor Oduwole outlined her vision for the school to be nationally relevant and create a global impact. She presented her 10-point agenda, which she said will set the school on a bold, uncompromising course toward academic distinction, institutional stability, and societal relevance. The Vice Chancellor also stressed the importance of graduating labour-market-ready students by creating a true platform for entrepreneurship and employability skills, enabling students to contribute valuably to society.
Looking ahead, Ajayi Crowther University projects further expansion of specialized programs, technological innovations, and global academic collaborations to make the University more competitive internationally. The intention to create more world-class facilities, offer stronger postgraduate programs, and upgrade research centers adds to the aspiration to achieve excellence at par with top universities worldwide. Poised for a great future with the support of the Church of Nigeria, under stable, effective, and visionary leadership, the university’s student population is on the rise. Eventually, Ajayi Crowther University works hard so that the legacy of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther lives on, even as the institution grooms new generations for societal transformation with integrity, knowledge, and service.
