Welcome to Department of Biology, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. A single Department with a pluralistic nature. An abode of life at all levels, cellular, Microbial and microbial. She synthesizes various aspects of life viz; mycology, virology, phycology, entomology, parasitology, immunology, epidiomology, evolution, ecology, conservation, molecular biology, genetics, cytosystematics, radiation biology, fisheries and food science, without being cataclasmic. She stretches herself in services to other sister Departments that deal with life in all its ramifications; a template for impressing the basic tenets of biology.

Departmet of Biology awards Bachelor of Sciences (B.Sc.) degree in Biology, Botany and Zoology. Little wonder, the products of this great Department serve in various capacities cutting across several organizations, academic and research institutions, ministries and parastatals, still the noblest of them forge ahead to pass on the baton in the training process as lecturers cum researchers within their ALMA MATTER. We duff our hats and dub thee, the “heart-beat” of life science

We aim to create an enabling environment where students thrive and gain comprehensive education and broadened scientific knowledge in order to equip them with skills that will benefit them in their future and professional ambitions.

Founded in 1962 at the establishment of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, When the University started in 1962, the degree programme offered by the department was in the form of a three-year combined Honours degree programmes with each candidate taking three suitable subjects in the first year and two main subjects plus a subsidiary subject in the second and third years. One such combined degree structure was as follows:

• 1 ^st year: Botany, Zoology, Chemistry
• 2 ^nd year: Botany, Zoology, subsidiary chemistry
• 3 ^rd year: Botany, Zoology, subsidiary Biochemistry

The main subject combinations were Bot/Zoo., Bot/Chem., Zoo/Chem, Bio/Geog and the subsidiary was the third subject offered in the 1st year and/or one closely related to it. A Biology/Education combination was also offered in the late 60s in conjunction with the Faculty of Education. The rationale for the combined honours broad-based degree programme of the department was to produce graduates that would be very useful to society, especially as science teachers in secondary and lower tertiary institutions. The combined honours programme was run for the first and second batches of graduates (1965 and 1966). However, due to pressure from the students and a review of the university’s policies, single Honours degree programmes (in the areas of Botany and Zoology) were started in 1967. The Biology single Honours programme was introduced later.

Since inception the fundamental philosophy and objective of the three single Honours degree programmes has been the provision of broad-based training as against extreme specialization. Thus, prior to the introduction of the 4-year degree programme, all students irrespective of whether they were reading Botany, Biology and Zoology, had to take the same courses in Parts I and II of the then 3-year programmes. Only in the final year were any specialist options allowed. This policy has been maintained in the current 4-year degree programme where all students irrespective of their degree option take the same courses in the first and second years of study (i.e., 100-Level and 200-Level).

It is important to mention that the Department of Biology is one of the two science-based departments in the university that run three undergraduate degree programmes (namely, B.Sc. Biology, B.Sc. Botany, and B.Sc. Zoology). The department also offers service courses to the Faculties of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy, Agriculture, Education, and some other departments of the Faculty of Science. Furthermore, the science component of the B.Ed. and B.Sc. (Education Biology) programmes of the Faculty of Education depend mainly on courses offered by the Department for the science component of those programmes.

The B.Sc. Biology degree programme of the department received full accreditation in the 2006 Accreditation Exercise.

The Department is a beehive of scientific activities where an exceptional group of scientists who not only rise to the top in their fields and create technologies that make a difference in Nigeria and beyond, but are dedicated to both postgraduate and undergraduate education. Their dedication is evident in their creative and innovative teaching methods and devotion to postgraduate and undergraduate students’ research and mentoring. We are committed to helping our student gain excellent training that includes a strong foundation in the basic sciences and the freedom to shape their own degree paths.

We also give our students both qualitative and quantitative background that enables them to tackle problems and provide the foundation for lifelong achievements. Our graduates are sought after by other institutions and top companies in the country and internationally. Our academic staff constantly receive prestigious fellowships and awards, and this success is not short lived. Our alumni are also making their marks within and outside Nigeria in their various fields of specialization.

We have linkages across the departments which our staff and students can benefit from in realizing advances in research.

On behalf of the entire members of the Faculty of Science, we wish you well in your academic pursuit. I hope you will explore our website to gain additional insight into the various programmes we offer