When I arrived in UI in the summer of 1980, I was unprepared for what I witnessed. I had completed one year as Physics major at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and transferred to UI to study Mechanical Engineering. What surprised me most was the way the Christians went around boldly on campus. Those were the days in the eastern part of Nigeria where I came from, it was a taboo for any born again woman to wear jewelry not to talk of makeup. I was surprised to see that most of the sisters wore ear rings and some had makeups. I noticed especially Bimbo Williams ( later Bimbo Odukoya) wearing make up but I found that she thoroughly knew the Lord and was one of the most fervent sisters I knew on campus.
That year, we had Mission 80, an evangelistic campus outreach of IVCU and it was a blast. We started with a carnival, a tractor drawn carriage carried sisters and brothers to all the halls of residence to drum up advertisement for the program. There was a lot of zeal on the part of these students.
Annually, we had 2 outreaches, Mission and Explo UI. They typically were organized over weekends.
IVCU meetings were on Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons at the Chapel of Resurrection. These meetings looking back were more like bible school. Pastors with differing theological bents were invited to sharpen and broaden the basis of foundational beliefs. The executives also took part in preaching in these meetings. The un-exhaustive list of invited ministers included Late Bishop Benson Idahosa, Pastor Adegboye, then at the University of Lagos, Pastor Kumuyi, Brother Emiko, Brother Yemi Ayodele, Pa Elton, Apostle Geoffrey Numbere, Pastor John Okposia, Austin Ukachi, Joseph Olaruwaju, Emeka Nwankpa, Dr Adesogun. The meetings were very charismatic in nature.
The prayer band when Femi Agiri became leader was very influential. The “woods” became a place you must be seen if you are “spiritual”.
We had only IVCU and SCM as the Christian organizations until I think 1982 or 1983 when the deeper life started their own fellowship.
My 4 years in UI was a GREAT training ground spiritually. We were allowed to hold differing opinions and argued our beliefs. No wonder most of the alumni went out to be Christian leaders all over the world.
I cannot thank God enough for the privilege of being a part of that movement in UI.