Overview and History of University of Offa, Kwara State

 
Nestled in the historic town of Offa, in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, the University of Offa stands as a new-generation private institution aiming to reshape tertiary education in the North-Central region of Nigeria. In a time when Nigeria is facing ever-rising demands for university placements, modern curricula, and practical skill development, the University of Offa offers a platform for students to engage in academic growth close to home—while still aspiring to global relevance. Offa, with its rich educational tradition and strong community spirit, offers an exciting context for this institution. For many young people in Kwara State and its surrounding regions, having a private university like this available locally means fewer burdens of relocation, lower travel costs, and better integration with local industries and communities. The University of Offa also presents itself as a centre not just of learning, but of innovation—emphasising science and computing, social sciences, management, education and more.

That said, because the university is relatively newly established, prospective students and parents must approach with measured optimism. Key questions remain around the maturity of infrastructure, faculty, accreditation for specific programmes, student support systems and the overall track record. In this blog post, we’ll walk through the official website, motto, founder, history, chancellor (or academic leadership), accreditation and recognition, academic structure and facilities, campus life and facilities, and, to the extent available, notable alumni of the University of Offa.

##Official Website
The official website of the University of Offa is unioffa.edu.ngOn the site you’ll find information about the institution’s mission and vision, its faculties and departments, admission information, contact details, and updates. The presence of a well-maintained website is a good sign of institutional transparency and readiness to engage prospective students.

##Motto
While a specific, widely-quoted motto for the University of Offa is not easily located in public sources, the website emphasises key themes such as “Building a Brighter Future Through Education”, “Nurturing Knowledge, Skills, and Innovation” and “Excellence in Learning and Research”. From these phrases one can infer that the institution aims to combine intellectual growth (knowledge), practical skill development (skills), innovation and a commitment to excellence.

##Founder
The University of Offa is the brainchild of Rasaq Oyewale (often referenced as Dr. (Chief) Rasaq Oyewale) who serves as the proprietor and is credited with founding the institution. Oyewale is noted in reports as an education-investor and entrepreneur in Kwara State, with involvement in a number of educational institutions in Offa and nearby areas. His vision for the University of Offa is rooted in bringing higher education closer to the community and offering an alternative private university option in the region.

##History
The history of the University of Offa is fairly recent—but it carries both promise and challenges. The university was among the private institutions approved by Nigeria’s federal government in February 2021 as part of a batch of new private universities. 
 The institution is listed by the Joint Admissions & Matriculation Board (JAMB) as a degree-granting school under the code “UOO” (University of Offa, Offa, Kwara State). 

From its website: the University of Offa emphasises its mission “to provide world-class education, promote innovation and research, and cultivate a community of learners who are empowered with knowledge, skills, and values to positively transform society.” 

However, a number of investigative reports raised concerns about the state of infrastructure in its early phase. One article (June 2025) noted that while the university had been licensed, it reportedly had “no lecture theatres, research laboratories or a library” at the time of inspection. 

Despite these start-up challenges, the university has held matriculation ceremonies (the second matriculation reportedly took place in April 2024) and appears to be actively recruiting staff and students. 

In summary, the University of Offa is at the early operational stage. Its history is marked by a strong founding vision, regulatory approval, early student intake—but also by infrastructure and operational maturity still in development. For students, this presents both opportunity (to join early cohorts) and caution (to verify programme readiness, faculty strength and facilities).

##Chancellor
While publicly available sources do not clearly indicate a “Chancellor” (ceremonial head) for the University of Offa, what is documented is the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor: Kazeem Alagbe Gbolagade, who was appointed in September 2025. 

Brief Biography: Prof. Gbolagade is a distinguished scholar of Computer Science, with over two decades of academic and administrative experience. He is an alumnus of University of Ilorin (BSc), University of Ibadan (MSc) and earned his PhD at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. He previously served as Vice-Chancellor of Ahman Pategi University (Kwara State) and held senior leadership positions in Ghana and Nigeria. In his remarks he pledged to re-position the University of Offa as a hub for technological innovation, global partnerships and inclusive growth. 

For prospective students and stakeholders, his appointment signals the institution’s desire to strengthen its academic leadership, particularly with a focus on technology and innovation.

##Accreditation and Recognition
The University of Offa is officially recognised in Nigeria’s list of private degree-granting institutions. It appears in the JAMB degree-list under “UOO – University of Offa, Offa, Kwara State.” 

It is also on Wikipedia’s list of Nigerian universities and stated to be approved as one of the new private universities in 2021. 

That said, articles note that the physical readiness of infrastructure (lecture theatres, labs, library) was still under scrutiny as of mid-2025. 

Therefore: while the institution is licensed and recognised, students should verify the accreditation status of specific programmes of interest, review infrastructure, faculty credentials and current operational status for their chosen courses.


##Academic Structure and Facilities
The University of Offa offers a number of faculties and intends to provide modern infrastructure and programmes. Key aspects include:

Faculties / Departments: According to the website, the university lists faculties such as: 

Faculty of Education

Faculty of Social & Management Sciences

Faculty of Sciences & Computing. 


##Campus Life and Facilities
Campus life at the University of Offa is shaped by its location in Offa, Kwara State—a town with a strong community tradition and growing educational infrastructure.

Location & Setting: Situated in Offa, the campus affords students access to local amenities, potential community engagement and possibly lower cost of living compared to big cities.

Hostel & Accommodation: Information indicates on-campus hostel accommodation with facilities such as WiFi, borehole water, generator backup and common recreation rooms. 

Student Matriculation & Integration: The university held its second matriculation ceremony in April 2024, signifying that student intake and formalities are underway. 

Technology & Innovation Emphasis: Given the inclusion of departments like Cyber Security and Software Engineering, campus life likely includes labs and computing resources for students in these areas.

Challenges & Considerations: Reports suggesting incomplete infrastructure (no lecture theatres etc) indicate that campus life may still be evolving and that students should check current state of facilities, extra-curricular clubs, student services, sports, and library availability.