In 1991, after the former Anambra State was split into Anambra and Enugu States, the Awka and Nnewi campuses of the former Anambra State University of Technology (ASUTECH) were combined into Nnamdi Azikiwe University, which was later taken over by Federal government. The university is named after Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first president of Nigeria. The Awka Campus became Nnamdi Azikiwe University. In 1992, the Federal Government of Nigeria took over the University from Anambra State. Nnamdi Azikiwe University, thus, became a Federal University.