There Was a Campus: Nostalgia, Memory and the Formation of University of Nigeria “Campus Kids” Online Communities

Egbunike, Louisa Uchum

Abstract

The ceremonial opening of the University of Nigeria on 7 October 1960 formed part of Nigeria’s independence celebrations, linking the destiny of the institution to the nation. Seven years later, the outbreak of the Nigeria–Biafra war (1967–70) instigated a decoupling. This article reads the war as a turning point in the history of the institution, and examines the post-war dynamics on campus, arguing that the momentum many university academics invested in building Biafra was transferred into the rebuilding of the University of Nigeria. In the post-war context, community building was a central aspect of the university’s restorative project, and the experience of “campus kids”, the children of university staff growing up on campus, was shaped by the sense of kinship that was fostered between families. With a focus on campus kids from the 1980s and 1990s, this article explores the use of social media in facilitating the reconnection of campus kids online. It discusses the use of online spaces in the remapping of the past, community building and socio-economic support, and suggests that these digital communities present a contemporary online iteration of the home-town association.

ABSTRACT IN IGBO
Emume mmeghe nke Mahadum Naijiria n’ụbọchị 7th October 1960 hiwere akụkụ mmemme nnwere onwe nke Naijiria, na-ejikọta ọdịnihu nke ụlọakwụkwọ na mba ahụ. Afọ asaa ka e mesịrị, ntiwapụ nke agha Naijiria na Biafra (1967-1970) kpalitere ntọhapụ ha. Akụkọ a na-agụnye agha ahụ dị ka oge mgbanwe na akụkọ ihe mere eme nke ụlọakwụkwọ ahụ, ma nyochaa usoro agha mgbe agha gasịrị na ogige mahadum bụ campus, na-ekwu na a na-ebufe ọkụ ọtụtụ ndị mahadum tinyere n’irụ Biafra n'ime irụghachi Mahadum Nigeria. N'ihe gbasara agha mgbe agha gasịrị, ụlọ obodo bụ akụkụ etiti nke ọrụ mweghachi nke mahadum, na ahụmịhe nke ụmụaka ogige mahadum a na-akpọ campus kids. Ụmụ ndị ọrụ mahadum na-etolite na campus, toputara site n'echiche nke ikwu dịgasị n'etiti ezinụlọ ndị a. Site n'ilekwasị anya na campus kids sitere n’afọ 1980 na 1990, edemede a na-enyocha iji mgbasa ozi ọha na eze social media na-eme ka campus kids zukotagharịa n'ịntanetị. Ọ na-atụle iji oghere ịntanetị na nhazigharị nke oge gara aga, njikọ ndị obodo na mmekọrịta akụ na ụba nkwado, ma na-atụ alo na ndị obodo dijitalụ e nwere ugbua na-egosipụta ka nzukọ ime obodo.

Citation

Egbunike, L. U. (2023). There Was a Campus: Nostalgia, Memory and the Formation of University of Nigeria “Campus Kids” Online Communities. Journal of African Cultural Studies, 35(3), 311-325. https://doi.org/10.1080/13696815.2023.2237929

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 14, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Sep 13, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023
• Deposit Date: Sep 19, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 19, 2023
• Journal: Journal of African Cultural Studies
• Print ISSN: 1369-6815
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-9346
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 35
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 311-325
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13696815.2023.2237929
• Keywords: Literature and Literary Theory; Linguistics and Language; Music; Visual Arts and Performing Arts; Language and Linguistics; Cultural Studies
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1742033