Faculty of Social Sciences

Brief History of the Faculty

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Administration was among the pioneer faculties of the university, formally established in 1975. In 2011, the faculty was split into two, i.e., the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Management Sciences. The present Faculty of Social Sciences houses a 2-storey building comprising four departments: Economics, Geography (located in the lower wing), Sociology and Political science (located in the upper wing). The pioneer Dean of the Faculty of Social Science is Prof. M. Abdel-Rehim (1976–1977). The current Dean of the Faculty is Prof. C. U. Aliyu (2021–to date). The faculty has six laboratories across the four departments, which are used for teaching and learning. These include the Geographic Information System (GIS) Laboratory, the Soil and Hydrology Laboratory, and the Weather Observatory Unity, all in the Geography Department. We also have an econometric laboratory housed in Economics Department, an audio-visual laboratory housed in the Sociology Department, and an ICT unit. Apart from undergraduate training, the faculty also has robust postgraduate training programmes domiciled across the four departments. These comprise both academic and professional programmes that are well-sought and attract students and researchers from different parts of the world. The programmes include a Master of Science (M.Sc.), a Master of Philosophy (MPhil), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Economics, Geography, Political Science, and Sociology.

In order to ensure sustainability and further contribute to nation-building and meeting societal needs, the faculty also runs a number of professional programmes domiciled across the four departments. The programmes include the Master of Gender and Development (MGED), Master in Geographic Information Systems (M.G. I. S.) and Postgraduate Diploma in Geographic Information Systems (PGD GIS), all in Geography Department. In the Economics Department, we have professional programmes such as Postgraduate Diploma in Banking and Finance and Master Programme in Banking and Finance (MBF). In Political Science Department, we have a Master in Governance and Public Policy and a Master in International Affairs and Diplomacy (MIIAD). The Department of Sociology also offers a Masters in Social Policy (MSP) and a Diploma in Crime Prevention, Management, and Control (DCM). In addition, the faculty has over the years maintained its excellent tradition of hard work and commitment to service among both the teaching and non-teaching staff, which has been reflected in the last National Universities Commission (NUC) ranking, in which this faculty was placed among the best faculties of social sciences in Nigerian universities. All departments of the faculty obtained full accreditation during the last NUC Accreditation Exercise.

A number of special programmes have been initiated by the faculty over the years in order to re-orient both staff and students and ensure cross-cutting and sharing of knowledge through the Faculty Seminar Series. The Faculty National Conference was also initiated and sustained. The Faculty also, through its departments, hosted national conferences of some professional bodies, such as the Nigerian Meteorological Society (NMets) and the Association of Nigerian Hydrological Sciences (ANHS). The Faculty is blessed with high-quality manpower and can boast of 35 Professors, 6 associate Professors, 14 Senior Lecturers and 30 other Lecturers.