Metal-organic-frameworks (MOF) derivation has been demonstrated to be an effective strategy to obtain porous metal oxides with controlled morphologies and improved electrochemical properties for lithium-ion batteries. One-dimensional mesoporous NiO nanorod is synthesized for the first time in this work from a rod-like Ni-MOF precursor, which is formed by a fast and facile room-temperature reaction. The mesoporous NiO nanorod delivers a larger-than-theoretical reversible capacity of 1019mAhg−1 after 100 cycles at 100mAg−1 and good high-rate capabilities when used as an anode material for rechargeable lithium ion batteries. The mesoporous structure derived from the MOF precursor along with 1D nanoparticle-integrated nanorod morphology can facilitate lithium diffusion, resist volume change and maintain structural stability of the electrode during repetitive cycling, thus resulting in enhanced reversible Li-storage capacities and excellent cyclability.