University Of Abuja

The University of Abuja is a federal university in Abuja, Nigeria, established in January 1988 as a dual-mode university mandated to run both conventional and distance-learning programmes, the first Nigerian university with such a mandate at inception. Academic work began in 1990 at a temporary « mini-campus » in Gwagwalada; the university was later allocated over 11,800 hectares along Abuja-Airport Road for its permanent site. On 16 December 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu renamed the university « Yakubu Gowon University » in honour of former Head of State Yakubu Gowon on his 90th birthday. It comprises 9 faculties plus a College of Health Sciences, with a student population of roughly 55,000.

The university is known as « the University for National Unity » and is the only federal university located in the Federal Capital Territory. In 2025, two University of Abuja academics were named among the world’s top 2% of scientists.

Notable alumni include Kanayo O. Kanayo, Nigerian actor, lawyer, and 2006 Africa Movie Academy Award winner, and Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, media personality and host of Big Brother Naija.