Top 10 Best Universities To Study Geology In Nigeria (2025)

This is a comprehensive list of the top 10 best universities to study geology or geological sciences in Nigeria this 2025. Geology is a very interesting course requiring prospective university students to have a background in the sciences and the course is something many students in the country would love if given the opportunity as it comes with a lot of adventures during field trips.

According to the Geological Society Of London, Geology or geoscience, is defined as the study of the structure, evolution and dynamics of the Earth and its natural mineral and energy resources. Geology investigates the processes that have shaped the Earth throughout its history and uses the rock record to unravel that history.

The course is a very lucrative one in the country judging by the geologists salary structure in Nigeria in recent times, and because of the nature of their job, geoscientists work hand in hand with engineers, especially petroleum engineers on the field and get paid close to what engineers earn as well.

As an aspiring geologist in Nigeria who wants to study the course at a top university, you need to know which schools are the leading universities to study geology in the country today and we have helped you compile a list that will guide you in your decision making regarding this subject matter. This list is given below.

TOP 10 BEST UNIVERSITIES TO STUDY GEOLOGY IN NIGERIA 2025 

The following schools are the 10 best universities in Nigeria that offer geology or geosciences this 2025 in no particular order:

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA (UNN) 

The Department of Geology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, was established in 1961, and it is one of the oldest of such departments in the country. Its graduates consist of the required work force for the oil, mining and related industries in Nigeria.

The Department offers a 5-year Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree programme in Geology and a combined degree programme in Geology and Physics. The Department is a centre of excellence in University education and research.

Geology, being an applied earth science where the earth is studied as a system that results from the physical, chemical and biological interactions of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and solid earth is a very important course of study that helps us appreciate the earth in ways we wouldn’t ordinarily do, and at UNN you are sure to get the very best education when you choose to study this course.

The curriculum and research at UNN require a minimum of 168 units for a B.Sc. Honours degree in Geology or 179 units for a B.Sc. Honours degree in Combined Geology and Physics programme.

The programmes are generally focused on several aspects of the interactions of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and solid earth and their byproducts thus preparing the student for industrial and or self employment.

The focus of the educational programme in Geology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, is to enable the student acquire the skills relevant to the ever increasing Earth Resources Industry and ancillary services. Graduates are expected to gain expertise in a wide range of geological activities including (but not limited) to the following:

• Seismic data acquisition and interpretation;
• Wireline log interpretation and Petrophysical analyses;
• Core analysis and Interpretation;
• Sedimentologic-Sequence Stratigraphic analysis;
• Geochemical and Biostratigraphic analysis;
• Exploration prospects and evaluation;
• Reservoir Exploration, appraisal and development;
• Technical and Economics of Petroleum Geosciences;
• Mineral Exploitation and Reserve Calculation;
• Reserve quality assessment;
• Mineral processing and Beneficiation techniques;
• Environmental Analyses;
• Feasibility studies of different construction projects;
• Erosion/gully assessment and control measure;
• Environmental impact assessment procedures;
• Waste management and Land use designs;
• Water resources evaluation and design of optimal exploitation strategies;
• General Geologic Mapping and map interpretation;
• Report Writing.

In terms of employment/job opportunities, the oil and gas industry and their servicing companies are the greatest employers of Geology graduates in Nigeria. In more recent times, the Environmental Industry has significantly reduced unemployment of Geology graduates by employing many in the Environmental sector.

Other employers of Geology graduates include: The Geological Survey Agency of the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals, The Mining Corporation, and Engineering companies, The Federal Ministry of Water Resources, The State Water Corporations, and Water drilling companies.

OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY (OAU) 

The Department of Geology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria is located in the Physical Sciences Building of the school, and the campus is situated in the ancient city of Ile Ife, Osun State, the cradle of the Yoruba race and veritable repository of its culture.

The Geology Department at OAU, Ife was established as a unit in the Department of Physics in April 1965 at the Ibadan campus of the then University of Ife. The Department ran a B.Sc degree in Geology until 1974/75 academic year when B.Sc Applied Geophysics degree programme was introduced.

It was the first Department to introduce the undergraduate Applied Geophysics programme in Nigeria. The Department of Geology has since added in addition to its undergraduate degree programmes in Geology and Applied Geophysics, the postgraduate research degree programmes to its list of available courses in this discipline. Professional M.Sc. degree geoscience programmes at the school include the following:

• M.Sc Petroleum Geosciences
• M.Sc Petroleum Geophysics
• M.Sc Petroleum Geochemistry
• M.Sc Mineral Exploration
• M.Sc Groundwater and Environmental Geoscience.

UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN (UI) 

The Geology Department at the University of Ibadan is the oldest geology department in Nigeria. The Department offers special field schools, research programmes, and facilities that allow students to hone their skills and prepare for rewarding careers in the geosciences.

Presently, the Department offers B.Sc, M.Sc., MPhil. and Ph.D in Geology, with options in Geophysics, Petroleum Geology, Environmental Geology, Geochemistry, Sedimentology, Palaeontology, Mineral Exploration, Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology.

The goal of the department of Geology, University of Ibadan is excellence in both teaching and research. Their undergraduate and postgraduate students enjoy good student to lecturer ratio as the Department maintains small classes. Their laboratories are adequately equipped with modern teaching facilities to ensure that their students enjoy Geology to the fullest.

NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, AWKA (UNIZIK) 

With a reputation for excellence, and a track record in high quality training of students, the Faculty of Physical Sciences at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University strives to provide a stimulating and supportive academic community.

The Faculty, under which the Department of Geological Sciences is domiciled, boasts strong industry links and ongoing development in facilities, offering a range of options for study at undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD level.

Both the University and the Faculty enjoy enviable industry links. Lecturers from industry contribute to the teaching of both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and also sponsor research projects, greatly enhancing the student experience.

The Faculty is active in research and enterprise with academic staff and research students engaged in many high profile and important research projects that continue to have a real world impact.

AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, (ABU)

The Department of Geology in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria was established in 1967. The Department started with 3 offices in the Department of Physics within the Middle Block occupied by Physics/Mathematics and a laboratory on the ground floor of the eastern block then occupied by Departments of Architecture and Geography.

In 1970/1971, a block of offices adjacent to the eastern block occupied by Departments of Architecture and Geography was erected with assistance from the Polish Government. The Department then left the offices in the Physics Department and subsequently expanded more on the ground floor of the eastern block especially when the university bindery section on the ground floor was relocated.

Today, the Department is expanding into a new block being built through the Presidential 2016 NEEDS Assessment under TETFUND. The Department started with a well equipped Microscope Room and a Thin-Section laboratory and later developed the sedimentological and geochemistry laboratories.

The Department was well equipped with analytical equipment such as the Differential Thermal Analysis, The Scanning Electron Microscope, X-Ray Diffraction, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. With all these in place the Department was competitive with any other Department of Geology globally.

The Department also kept a museum along corridors of its new building which has recently been transferred to the ground floor of the now Geography/Geology block.

The Department of Geology shares the overall philosophy of Ahmadu Bello University. It exists to impact and develop knowledge in the earth science to men and women regardless of age, religion, nationality and ethnic background, and specifically concentrates on its area of specialisation.

It also exists to advance the frontiers of learning and to break new ground in earth science through teaching, research and dissemination of knowledge of the highest quality to establish and foster national and international integration, to produce high level manpower and to enhance capacity building through training and retraining in order to meet the needs of the catchment area, Nigeria and the rest of the world.

UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT (UNIPORT) 

The Department of Geology was established in 1976 to expose the students to all aspects of training in theoretical, practical and field geology. Geology as a discipline offers a lot of challenges to those undertaking University training in the field.

The Department offers both undergraduate training programmes through teaching and research and renders professional support services to corporate bodies within and outside Nigeria. These courses are geared towards preparing and equipping the students towards a challenging and satisfying profession.

At the end of the programme, graduates of the geology and geosciences programmes at UNIPORT can look forward to getting a wide range of job opportunities in public and private sectors or be self employed. The Department is endowed with high calibre of dedicated professionals, whose experiences cut across different endeavours of life.

Their major objective is to impart knowledge to the students, making sure that the formative years are sound. The student is expected to avail himself/herself of such great opportunity of tapping from these great scholars to be able to form his/her own opinions concerning life.

The Department provides unique and conducive learning/research environment that enables the student to excel and mould himself/herself into maturity. The work of professional geologist is endless. It is a mixture of activities that involve the process of observation, planning, analysis, calculation, interpretation and decision making.

The major specialties in Geology (in alphabetical order) are;

• Aerogeology/Remote sensing
• Crystallography
• Economic Geology
• Engineering Geology
• Environmental Geology
• Geochemistry
• Geophysics
• Geostatistics
• Hydrogeology
• Marine Geology
• Mineralogy
• Mining Geology
• Paleontology/Palynology
• Petroleum Geology
• Petrology
• Physical Geology
• Sedimentology
• Stratigraphy
• Structural Geology.

To specialize in any of these fields, one needs to obtain a formal training at the University of Port Harcourt to obtain a degree, postgraduate diploma, M.Sc., Ph.D after which they continue with more informal training/experience from several years of professional practice in the industry after graduation.

CHUKWUEMEKA ODUMEGWU OJUKWU UNIVERSITY, ULI (COOU)

The Uli campus at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) is where the Department of Geology is domiciled. The school was founded in the year 2000 and the Geology Department is a vibrant department under the faculty of Physical Sciences. Lectures are very practical and well presented to the students and the addition of field trips to see first hand what is being thought theoretically in the classroom adds to the impressiveness of studying this course at the school.

FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OWERRI (FUTO)

The Geology programme at the School Of Physical Sciences (SOPS), Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) is designed to help the students develop into top geologists upon graduation, ensuring that they are well equipped with all the necessary knowledge to forge a long and successful career in this field, and on a broader scale, developing the society at large.

FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, MINNA (FUT MINNA)

The Department of Geology at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, offers a five-year degree programme leading to the award of a Bachelor of Technology Degree in Geology. Geology applies the principles of Physics, Chemistry and Biology in explaining natural phenomenon.

The students who intend to study Geology at this school should have a thorough knowledge of the aforementioned subjects. The Department of Geology started in 1984 at the inception of the University as one of the departments in the then School of Science and Science Education.

The degree programme is designed to give the students a broad background in the basic sciences in the first two years. The students are taught the principles of geology in their 200 and 300 levels. Applied Geology is emphasized in 400 and 500 levels. Fieldwork is carried out at every level. Prospective geology students should be physically fit to accommodate the rigours of fieldwork in addition to satisfying the University Entry Requirements.

Any student who intends to study geology at FUT Minna must possess a Geological Hammer, a Compass Clinometer, a Hand lens of 10x magnifications and a Global Positioning System (GPS) during his or her stay in the Department of Geology so as to involve them in an intellectually stimulating and satisfying experience of learning and studying.

AJAYI CROWTHER UNIVERSITY, OYO (ACU)

The B.Sc. (Honours) degree in Geology at Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo State, is anchored on the basic sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics) just as it is with engineering. The training is geared towards building a strong technological background for Nigeria in a way comparable with what obtains in the developed economics.

Training students in geology at this school therefore lays much emphasis on identifying, exploring and exploiting the natural resources for the advancement of human civilization and positive progress in human development.

In pursuance of this policy, students at ACU are very much exposed to practical training both in the field and laboratories in addition to giving them sound theoretical background so they can become sound geoscientists capable of serving Nigeria well in the areas of mineral prospecting or surveys, in petroleum, water, solid minerals, engineering, environmental sciences and related areas.

The geology programme at Ajayi Crowther University is such that their students are prepared to take on the challenges of further research in the various sub-disciplines of Geology or Earth Sciences.