Redeemer's University
Nigerian private university
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Redeemer's University is a private university in Ede, Osun State, Nigeria. Established in 2005, it is owned by the Redeemed Christian Church of God and situated off the Ibadan-Osogbo Road.
RUN | |
Main entrance | |
| Motto | Running with a Vision |
|---|---|
| Type | Private undergraduate & postgraduate |
| Established | 2005 |
| Founder | Redeemed Christian Church of God |
| Chancellor | Theophilus Danjuma |
| Vice-Chancellor | Shadrach Olufemi Akindele |
| Location | , , Nigeria 7°40′52″N 4°27′29″E |
| Campus | 812 hectares (2,010 acres) |
| Colors | Blue, gold & white |
| Website | run |
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History and governance
The university was founded by the Redeemed Christian Church of God in 2005.[1] Headed by the General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, a PhD holder in applied mathematics.
The Federal Government of Nigeria granted an operating license to Redeemer's University on 7 January 2005. In order to realize its dream, the Redeemed Christian Church of God, the proprietors of the university, initially acquired a large expanse of land in Ede, Osun state, having obtained the Certificate of Statutory Right of Occupancy in 1997. The site of the university covers an area of about 812 hectares (2,010 acres).[2]
The university took off at the temporary site in the Redemption Camp on 11 October 2005 with 478 students admitted into three colleges. On 1 February 2006, 473 students matriculated into the colleges to pursue bachelor's degrees in various programmes and the university has produced 13 sets of graduates.[3]
Vice-chancellors
Below is the list of vice-chancellors, from inception:
| S/N | NAME | PERIOD AS VC | REMARK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oyewale Tomori | 2005-2011 | Pioneer Vice-Chancellor, Professor of Virology and former World Health Organization Executive for Sub-Saharan Africa; Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science. |
| 2 | Debo Adeyewa | 2011-2018 | Professor of Meteorology, Federal University of Technology Akure Ondo State, Nigeria. |
| 3 | Anthony Enisan Akinlo | 2018–2023 | Professor of Monetary and Development Economics.[4] |
| 4 | Shadrach Akindele | 2023- present | Professor of Forestry. [5] |
Campuses
Redeemer's University provides on-campus accommodations for its students. It offers rooms designed to accommodate three students.[6]
Halls of Residence
Undergraduate students at the University reside in the halls of residence, located on campus. The hall of residence is divided into two: Queen Esther Hall for female students and Prophet Moses Hall for male students.[6]
Faculties
Redeemer's University operates a collegiate academic structure comprising several faculties that offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across the sciences, humanities, engineering, and social sciences. Academic programmes at the university are accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the regulatory body responsible for university education in Nigeria.[7]
Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences
The Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences provides foundational training in medical and health-related disciplines. Programmes offered in the faculty include Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Medical Laboratory Science, and related biomedical sciences. The faculty supports research activities in public health, infectious diseases, and biomedical science.[8]
Faculty of Natural Sciences
The Faculty of Natural Sciences offers programmes designed to provide strong theoretical and practical foundations in the physical and biological sciences. Departments within the faculty include Biochemistry, Microbiology, Industrial Chemistry, Physics with Electronics, and Mathematics. The faculty also collaborates with research institutes of the university in areas such as genomics, infectious disease research, and environmental science.[9]
Faculty of Humanities
The Faculty of Humanities offers programmes that focus on language, literature, culture, and communication. Courses offered include English and Literary Studies, History and International Studies, and Religious Studies. The faculty aims to develop critical thinking, communication skills, and an understanding of cultural and historical contexts.[10]
Faculty of Management Sciences
The Faculty of Management Sciences provides professional training in business and management disciplines. Programmes include Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Administration, and Actuarial Science. The faculty emphasises entrepreneurship, corporate leadership, and managerial competence in preparing students for careers in the business sector.[11]
Faculty of Social Sciences
The Faculty of Social Sciences focuses on the study of human behaviour, governance, and societal development. Departments include Economics, Political Science, Psychology, and Mass Communication. The faculty also conducts research related to governance, public policy, media studies, and socio-economic development.[12]
Faculty of Built Environment
The Faculty of Built Environment offers programmes related to urban planning, architecture, and environmental management. The faculty focuses on sustainable development, urban design, and environmental planning in response to growing urbanisation challenges.[13]
Faculty of Engineering
The Faculty of Engineering provides training in modern engineering disciplines with emphasis on innovation and technology development. Programmes offered include Computer Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. The faculty aims to develop engineers capable of contributing to technological advancement and industrial development.[14]
African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID)
In 2013, the university won a World Bank Grant to fund the establishment of the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID). To win the grant, Redeemer's University entered a competition with 15 prestigious universities selected from West and Central Africa and after a rigorous exercise and based on the quality of work exhibited in her proposal, the university was awarded the grant which gave birth to the centre.
It is a World Bank funded collaborative research center. The partners are West African academic and medical institutions (Redeemer's University, University of Ibadan, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Nigeria, University of Sierra Leone, Kenema Government Hospital in Sierra Leone and Universite Cheik Anta-Diop de Dakar). ACEGID has a mandate to build capacity in the field of genomics in young African scientists and identify and characterize pathogens of unknown origin using microbial metagenomics. Ultimately, the project aims to translate the research outcome into products that can be deployed to the field to contribute to the control, management and elimination of infectious diseases in the African continent.[15]
Some achievements of ACEGID
- Accurate diagnosis of the first case of Ebola in Sierra Leone and Nigeria in the 2014 EVD outbreak[15][16]
- Sequenced approximately 250 Ebola virus genomes and made available in open access databank[17]
- Provided tools and training for disease diagnosis, sequencing and bioinformatics
- Developed the capacity and provided facilities to study a BL4 pathogen in rural field settings (Nigeria and Sierra Leone)[15]
- Developed Ebola virus rapid diagnostics test (RDT) for rapid diagnosis of the disease in 10mins[18]
- Developed a new pan – Lassa fever rapid diagnostics test kit for diagnosis of the disease in 10mins.[15]
- Discovered 2 novel highly divergent rhabdoviruses in Ekpoma, Nigeria[19]
- Used clinical sequencing to uncover the origin and evolution of the Lassa virus
- Discovered neutralizing monoclonal antibodies that target epitopes on Lassa virus glycoproteins giving potential for immunotherapeutic in Lassa fever.[15]
- Participated in the 1000 genome project for the development of global reference for human genetic variation[20]
- Received the 1st prize in the life sciences and Medicine category at the 6th Nigerian Universities Research and Development Fair.[15]
- Trained approximately 1000 young African scientists in the field of Genomics and Bioinformatics between 2014 till date.
- ACEGID was designated as one of the three Africa's regional reference laboratories for genomic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging pathogens.[21]
Academics
The university runs both undergraduate[22] and postgraduate programmes.[23] Undergraduate programmes started at inception in 2005 with three colleges. They were the College of Natural Sciences, College of Management and Social Sciences and College of Humanities.
In the 2012–2013 academic year, the university admitted its first set of M.A., M.Sc., and PhD. students. So far, the university has produced 12 sets of graduates as of November 2020.
In the 2019/2020 Academic Session, the university changed from the Collegiate system to the Faculty system.[24] Also in that academic year, the university added two new Faculties, namely the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Environmental Sciences. Earlier in 2017/2018, the university commenced the Faculty of Law[25] and the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences.[26]
Rankings
Redeemer's University has been recognised in several national and international academic rankings.
According to the 2025 EduRank university rankings, Redeemer's University was ranked:
- 32nd in Nigeria
- 152nd in Africa
- 4,566th in the world.[27]
In the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, the university ranked among the leading institutions in Nigeria and emerged **first in Africa for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation**. The university also ranked highly in SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) due to its research contributions in public health and genomics.[28]
In the AD Scientific Index ranking of Nigerian private universities, Redeemer's University was ranked **first among private universities in Nigeria** based on scientific research performance.[29]
Partnerships and Collaborations
Redeemer's University maintains partnerships with several academic institutions, research organisations, and development agencies aimed at strengthening research, innovation, and academic exchange.
The university collaborates with local and international research institutions in areas such as genomics, environmental science, public health, and sustainable development. These collaborations support research initiatives addressing global challenges including climate change, infectious diseases, and water resource management.[30]
Through its research centres, particularly the Institute of Genomics and Global Health and the African Centre of Excellence for Water and Environmental Science Research, the university works with governmental organisations, non-governmental organisations, and industry partners to advance scientific research and capacity building in Africa.[31]
Awards and recognition
| Year | Award | Awarding Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Winner, ICHEM Global Award, UK (Resource-poor People Award)[32] | Institution of Chemical Engineers, UK |
| 2016 | Winner, Overall best Nigerian University in the fields of Life Sciences and Medicine, NURESDEF (Nigerian Universities Research and Development Fair)[33][34] | National Universities Commission (NUC) |
| 2016 2017 |
Winner, Seedling Labs Equipment Grant, USA[35][36] | Seeding Labs |
| 2017 | Winner, UNIDO National Quality Gold Award[37][38] | United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in collaboration with European Union |
| 2020 | The Alexander von Humboldt Grant[39][40] | The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation |
| 2021 | Best University in Research – Nigeria Media Nite-Out Award[41] | Nigeria Media Nite-Out Awards (NMNA) |
| 2021 | 2nd Overall Best University in Nigeria[42][43] | National Universities Commission (NUC) |
| 2021 | Winner, Al-Sumait Prize for African Development (Health)[40][44] | Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) |
| 2022 | NAS Gold Medal Price[45][46] | Nigerian Academy of Science |
| 2022 | Excellence in Adopting Emerging Technologies (Private University)[47] | Nigeria Technology Awards (NITAD) |
Recognition and Rankings
The university has in recent times been on the receiving end of favorable rankings by various reputable, independent and international bodies, foremost of which includes the Times Higher Education Sub-Saharan university rankings 2023 which saw the university ranking as the 35th best university in Sub-Saharan Africa and the 5th best university in Nigeria.[48] In 2021, the Nigerian University System Rankings placed Redeemer's University as the second best university in Nigeria and the best private university in the country.[49]
Notable faculty
- Ahmed Yerima, professor
- Christian Happi, professor
- Debo Adeyewa, professor
- Adebola Adebileje,[50] professor
Notable alumni
- Kiddominant, music producer
- Debo Macaroni, comedian
- Judikay, Nigerian gospel singer
- Elma Mbadiwe, actress
