Historical Background:
The proprietor of Wesley University of Science and Technology, Ondo is Methodist Church Nigeria. Methodist Church Nigeria was established in the country in 1842 by the Methodist Society from Britain. While engaging in their main goal of evangelizing and converting the people, the Methodists recognized the need to train a number of people who can read the Bible and serve as assistants to the Missionaries. The Methodists therefore ventured into education of the people and set up the first “Nursery of the Infant Church” in Badagry in 1843. This marked the first initiative in establishing schools in Nigeria.
Over the years of its existence, the Methodist Church has shown interest and (had in fact) participated in the development of Education, Health and Agriculture in the country with the establishment of Primary and Secondary Schools, Teacher Training Colleges, Theological Institutions, Hospitals, Leprosy Centres and various agricultural projects.
From the historical viewpoint, the Church was regarded as a preserver of knowledge. In the world today, education is viewed as a vocational training for the young, an education which disciplines the mind, develops the reasoning power and enables the young graduate to find employment and be of good service to the Church and the community.
Justification for the University
The desire to go into university education in Nigeria, considering the role of this level of education in the social and technological development of a nation was doused by Decree No.19 of 1984, which prohibited the establishment and running of private universities. However, the desire was reawakened with the promulgation of Decree No.9 of 1993, which allowed for establishment of private universities by individuals or organizations based on Federal Government’s criteria through the National Universities Commission. This is a welcome development, which the Methodist Church Nigeria, as a corporate citizen, decided to explore with the establishment of the Wesley University of Science and Technology, Ondo (WUSTO), as a Centre of Educational Excellence.
As an organization with high regard for the moral, social, political and technological advancement of the country, Methodist Church Nigeria has evaluated the state of university education in Nigeria and has offered to provide improved standard of delivery as well as provide additional places for the teaming population of young people who at present cannot be reasonably accommodated in the existing institutions. With the advancement in technology and growing interest awakened in the teaming populace for higher education, the situation is expected to worsen in the nearest future. The Wesley University of Science and Technology, Ondo is planned to support the efforts of the Federal Government in the development of high level manpower to meet the developmental needs of the nation.
Moreover, the yearning of the people of Ondo, a people with great love for education and educational development, for a University had been great and long standing. With the array of educational institutions ranging from nursery schools to a College of Education, the people’s cry of marginalization in siting of universities in the area would be satisfied with location of Wesley University of Science and Technology in Ondo. No wonder the people have received this development with open hands and total support.
