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Federal Universities are no doubt the most recognized and most popular universities in Nigeria. Despite the many problems associated with it, such as power play, politics, incessant strike and so on, most young Nigerians end up choosing them for many obvious reasons.
For starters, Federal Universities provide more liberty and free will unlike private universities where rules are strictly enforced, and students treated with iron fists and are sometimes expelled over “flimsy” things that are often termed normal in government-owned tertiary institutions.
That said, the terrible intervention cum lackadaisical attitude of the federal government of Nigeria towards federal universities has given power and education control to private owned universities as they are better equipped to provide quality education to undergraduates, without prejudice or malice.
Federal Universities in Nigeria
Federal universities, as their names imply, are controlled and funded by the Federal government of Nigeria. There are 43 federal universities scattered across Nigeria, including National Open Universities (NOUN), police academies, defence academies, universities of agricultures and university of technologies.
Despite the fact that some of these federal universities are unique in their operations and objectives, poor government funding over the years has made them less preferred if options were put on the table for prospective undergraduates who often think they can waltz in and out without experiencing government maladministration such as strikes, student union protests, often lead to suspension of activities, etc.
Here are the 43 federal universities in Nigeria, their names, as well as the year they were founded:
| S/N | NAME OF UNIVERSITY | YEAR FOUNDED |
| 1 | Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi | 1988 |
| 2 | Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria | 1962 |
| 3 | Bayero University, Kano | 1975 |
| 4 | Federal University Gashua, Yobe | 2013 |
| 5 | Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun | 2007 |
| 6 | Federal University of Technology, Akure | 1981 |
| 7 | Federal University of Technology, Minna | 1982 |
| 8 | Federal University of Technology, Owerri | 1980 |
| 9 | Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State | 2011 |
| 10 | Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, Katsina | 2011 |
| 11 | Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State | 2011 |
| 12 | Federal University, Lafia, Nasarawa State | 2011 |
| 13 | Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State | 2011 |
| 14 | Alex Ekwueme University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State | 2011 |
| 15 | Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa | 2011 |
| 16 | Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State | 2011 |
| 17 | Federal University, Wukari, Taraba State | 2011 |
| 18 | Federal University, Birnin Kebbi | 2013 |
| 19 | Federal University, Gusau Zamfara | 2013 |
| 20 | Michael Okpara University of Agricultural Umudike | 1992 |
| 21 | Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola | 1981 |
| 22 | National Open University of Nigeria, Lagos | 2002 |
| 23 | Nigeria Police Academy Wudil | 1985 |
| 24 | Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna | 1985 |
| 25 | Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka | 1992 |
| 26 | Obafemi Awolowo University,Ile-Ife | 1962 |
| 27 | University of Abuja, Gwagwalada | 1988 |
| 28 | Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta | 1988 |
| 29 | University of Agriculture, Makurdi | 1988 |
| 30 | University of Benin | 1970 |
| 31 | University of Calabar | 1975 |
| 32 | University of Ibadan | 1948 |
| 33 | University of Ilorin | 1975 |
| 34 | University of Jos | 1975 |
| 35 | University of Lagos | 1962 |
| 36 | University of Maiduguri | 1975 |
| 37 | University of Nigeria, Nsukka | 1960 |
| 38 | University of Port-Harcourt | 1975 |
| 39 | University of Uyo | 1991 |
| 40 | Usumanu Danfodiyo University | 1975 |
| 41 | Nigerian Maritime University Okerenkoko, Delta State | 2018 |
| 42 | Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna | 2018 |
| 43 | Nigerian Army University Biu | 2018 |
Oldest Federal Universities in Nigeria
The oldest federal university in Nigeria is the University of Ibadan, and it was founded in 1948, almost two decades before Nigeria got her independence and became a republic. The other two are the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, which was founded in 1960 and the University of Lagos, founded in 1962.