College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics

Non-AFRE Co-Principle Investigators: Other AEC/AFRE collaborators: Dr Herb Kriesel . See also the list of other MSU Faculty

Project Name:           University of Nigeria - Nsukka *
Donor:                       Agency for International Development, Ford Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, Rockefeller Foundation, Government of Nigeria, Netherlands Universities Foundation, FAO-UNICEF, Peace Corps, British and Canadian Volunteer Organizations, United Kingdom - Inter-University Council, MINE X
Contract No:             AID/afr-280     (USAID Project Number 6200602)
Account No:             MSU 71-2024
Location:                  Nigeria
Duration:                  March 1960 - July 1969
Budget:                    AID -- $9,943,610; Netherlands--$920,500; Ford -- $1,094,600; Carnegie--$27, 187; FAO-UNICEF -- $288,000; Peace Corps $100,000; British and Canadian Volunteers -- $10,000 Inter-University Council -- $127,400; MINEX -- $66,500; Government of Nigeria -- $33,559,000. Total support (includes amounts not outlined) -- $46, 136,797.

Documents:            (Click here to view)

Key MSU Faculty:   A Total of some 79 long-term and 62 short-term advisors contributed to the program in the field, as well as 7 campus-based personnel who fulfilled short-term inspection and supervisory roles. Additionally, a Campus Coordinator, Assistant Coordinator, Administrative Officer, and clerical personnel participated in the project office.  Long-term Faculty in Addition to Those Indicated From AEC/AFRE Included: George Axinn, Jack Bain, James Boyd, Norwin Braun, Noble Bright, Melvin Buschman, Joseph Cabaniss, Burton Cargill, Robert Carolus, Jerry Chang, Sheldon Cherney, Richmond Davis, Robert Deans, Charles Doane, Jr., Louis Doyle, Joseph Druse, Delwyn Dyer, Alfred Edwards, Jack Elliott, Leroy Ferguson, Lloyd Ferguson, George Ferns, Barry Floyd, Robert Fiore, George Fritz, Carl Frost, Wesley Gunkel, James Haines, Oliver Hall, Ed Hammarskjold, John Hanson, William Hawley, George Hay, Hugh Henderson, John Henderson, Mozell Hill, Charles House, George Johnson, Charles Kaufman, Miriam Kelley, John Kramer, Elwood Lawrence, Edward Lawson, Richard Lewis, William Lindquist, Robert Lumianski, David MacFarlane, E. Martin, Robert McKeen, Don McMillan, George Moore, Robert Morsberger, Jesse Morton, Roy Niemeyer, Philip Packard, Kenyon Payne, Benjamin Perry, Lincoln Pettit, Rex Ray, Charles Sheppard, Frank Siccardi, W. Sinclair, Troy Sterns, Glen Taggert, Charles Titkemeyer, Jan Veltrop, Don Wagner, Clayton Wells, Boyd Wiggins, Wells Williams, Irving Wyeth, Robert Wynn, and Lewis Zerby. Irving Wyeth served as Campus Coordinator 1965-1969 and wrote the final report.

Project Goals:           To render technical advice and assistance to the Government of Nigeria for the purpose of providing advisory services on the planning, administration, and organization for the development of a university within Nigeria at Nsukka.

Project Plans/Objectives:

1.    To analyze the social and economic problems of Nigeria that will be used in defining the functions of the new university in order that it might serve as both a cultural and vocational institution serving the academic and applied needs of the people of Nigeria.

2.    To provide assistance in the following areas:

• Any needed development of curricula, course content, and other instructional matters.
• Planning and developing research methods, procedures, and programs along with the preparation of papers on the research results.
• Developing extension procedures and materials through which the university may extend its knowledge to the people of Nigeria.
• Appraising the need of educational and technical materials, and when needed, assisting in the procurement of such materials.
• Identifying and developing programs leading to the strengthening of the faculty of the university.
• Developing the organizational structure and administrative processes of the university.
• The development of a charter for the university that will establish its directing board and set forth essential governmental relations. The Contractor will advise and consult on the problem of creating a form of organization that will permit the university to receive financial support from the government and yet retain academic freedom from political force.

3.    To assume joint responsibility for the conduct of courses with a local member of faculty in order that the course can be continued after the MSU consultant departs.

4.    To conduct project analysis and research to help develop a total university that will serve the specific economic, social, and cultural needs, problems, and goals of Nigeria.

5.    To assist in the selection of Nigerian scholars who have' already achieved their bachelor's degree for further training in order that when campus buildings are completed and classes are ready to start, a core of Nigerian staff members would be prepared to assume academic responsibility at least in junior staff roles.

6.    To effect an Anglo-American "partnership" in providing assistance for the planning and development of the university, and to maintain liaison with the appropriate United Kingdom educational officials to the maximum extent practicable over the period of the "partnership".

7.    To establish direct relationships as a source of information and knowledge with those people throughout the Eastern Region and the country having responsibility in such areas as agriculture, engineering, and business administration; those involved in the present educational programs, either within the churches or the Government; and with other organizations, both public and private, that might be related to the development of higher education in Nigeria.

8.    To contribute to the development of the Continuing Education Center and Economic Development Institute as integral parts of the university.

9.    To continue to assist in the development of such selected areas as the Division of General Studies and the Faculties of Agriculture, Business Administration, Engineering, Education, and Science.

10.  To assist regular staff in planning and conducting seminars beneficial to any or all of the staff and faculties constituting part of this institution-building project.

11.  To act as the university's agent or advisor in matters of recruitment, purchase of commodities or other services requiring U.S. resident representation.

Cooperating Institutions:      Eastern and Federal Nigerian Governments, Eastern Nigerian Marketing Board, Eastern Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture, Colonial Development and Welfare, Netherlands Universities Foundation, Ford Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, U.N. Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNICEF, Peace Corps, British and Canadian Voluntary Organizations, Inter-University Council of the United Kingdom, and many others.

Project Summary:                  The idea for the University of Nigeria at Nsukka was conceived by Dr. N. Azikiwe, then Premier of the Eastern Region of Nigeria. Dr. Azikiwe was a personal friend of John Hannah, then President of Michigan State University. Through a series of negotiations between Azikiwe, Hannah, and the International Cooperation Agency (the forerunner of the Agency for International Development), an agreement was reached concerning MSU's assistance in designing and implementing plans for a land-grant type institution, adapted to meet the unique needs of a developing country, in Nigeria. The main thrust of the project in its design stage was to ascertain from universities in the United Kingdom and the U.S. the particular characteristics that would be useful to use as a model in developing the Nigerian institution.

In its nine-year life, the emphasis of the project was placed on helping to develop relevant curricula and instructional materials to meet Nigerian needs: developing the staff; conducting student and faculty exchanges; institutionalizing research and its application to Nigerian requirements; and providing facilities and equipment for the orderly expansion of the university. All of these activities were undertaken in the context of entire institution building. The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, included Faculties of Agriculture, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Science, Social Studies, Arts, Law, and Human Medicine. An Economic Development Institute was also established.  For the establishment of each of these faculties, a series of goals and objectives were generated (view details about each here).

Selected Documents From/About This Project:   

• University of Nigeria-Nsukka. History – Univerisity of Nigeria Official Website.
• End of Tour Report.  1964. MSU Archive. Nigeria-Nsukka Project.  by Glenn L. Johnson.

• Economic Advisor’s End of Tour Report. April 1, 1967. By Herbert C. Kriesel  East Lansing: Report to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka Project. Department of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University.
• Final Report University of Nigeria-Nsukka Program. 1960-1969. prepared by I. R. Wyeth, coordinator, Michigan State University, University of Nigeria Program in cooperation with Agency for International Development.
• Growth and Development of the Nigerian Economy. 1970. edited by Carl K. Eicher and Carl Liedholm. (slow download-large file)
• MSU University Archives - University of Nigeria - Nsukka Project
• Photo of President John A. Hannah (third from front) marching in the opening convocation procession of the University of Nigeria at Nsukka in Eastern Nigeria, in 1960. For many years, Michigan State University worked closely with the Nigerian government in the total development of the University of Nigeria in the eastern section of the West African nation. This promising institution was cut short by Civil War in 1967.
• Three Nigerian Universities and Their Role in Agricultural Development. 1988. A.I.D. Project Impact Evaluation No. 66, by  William K. Gamble, Team Leader (Independent Consultant), Rae Lesser Blumberg, Rural Sociologist (University of California, San Diego), Vernon C. Johnson, Agricultural Economist (Bureau for Africa, A.I.D., retired) and Ned S. Raun, Animal Scientist (Winrock International)
• Digitizing Institutional Research Output of University of Nigeria, Nsukka. 2011.  By Chinwe Nwogo Ezeani, Deputy University Librarian, Library, University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Ifeanyi J Ezema, Senior Librarian, Library, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
• USAID/DEC Document Search 6200602

*This description is adapted from work by Nancy E. Horn, an MSU alumnus from the Anthropology Department, published in 1985 “A Project History of Michigan State University’s Participation in International Development for the period 1951 – 1985”.  See AFRE Emeritus Faculty - Acknowledgements