Clifford University is established on land that belonged to an Adventist school until it was seized by the government following the country's 1967–70 civil war. The government returned the land to the church in 2013. It is named after Jesse Clifford - a British missionary who brought Adventism to eastern Nigeria in 1923, serving in Nigeria for eight years.
Library
The university library is named after Dr. and Barrister (Mrs.) Paul Ogwuma, who contributed to the reconstruction and rebuilding of the library building. Activities started fully in the library with the assumption of the first University Librarian Dr. Saturday U. Omeluzor on February 1, 2017. Full library services kicked off after the recruitment of four pioneer library staff In March 2017.
Clifford university library houses about 11,000 volumes which are made freely accessible to users within the library and to borrow. Serial collections and e-resources are also available.
