The Ibibio Union and Educational Development of Ibibioland: 1928-1966
Abstract
The Ibibio Union was established by the Ibibio people in 1928 as an instrument of development and social mobilisation. Although the Union recorded landmark achievements in many areas of national life, this study is concerned with its contributions to the educational development of Ibibioland. The Union established a Teachers’ Training College in Uyo, in the 1930s following the failure of the colonial government to establish either a technical training institution or a grammar school in the area. It also initiated the first community based tertiary educational programme in the country – the Ibibio Union’s scholarship in 1938, for the training of six Ibibio scholars overseas, built the Ibibio State College at Ikot Ekpene in 1946, The paper discovers that the Union’s educational schemes contributed significantly to nation building and filled the gap that was created through inadequate educational services by the missionaries and colonial government. Adopting a historical narrative method, the study challenges ethnic unions and individuals in modern Nigeria to learn from the example of the Ibibio Union and contribute to the development of the education of their respective communities.
How to Cite
Harvard Style
Akpan, U.J. (2017), "The Ibibio Union and Educational Development of Ibibioland: 1928-1966", in Niger Delta Research Digest Vol. 12, No. 1, pp71-97, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17319186.