Brief History

The Department of Economics, ABU Zaria, established in 1966 is one of the oldest Departments of Economics in Nigerian Universities. Until 1996, the Department was part of the former Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS). When FASS was split into Faculties of Arts and Social Sciences, the Department became a part of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Unlike Departments of Economics located in Faculties of Business or Management, students in the Department do not have access to courses in Business Administration and Accounting which are in the Institute of Administration at the Kong Campus of the University. The main implication of the separation of Economics from related courses is that the Department must have allied courses taught within the Department.

The Department has since 1966 run undergraduate courses leading to the award of Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. In 1966-1984, the Department produced a total of 665 under graduate students, ten of which made first class. The cumulative total was 563 in 1983, 1736 in 1993, 2803 in 2001 and 3066 at the end of 2002/2003 session. Of the 317 students that graduated in 2000/2001; 2001/2002 and 2002/2003 sessions, two graduated with First Class Honours; 41 with Second Class Upper; 190 with Second Class Lower , 74 with Third Class and ten with Pass Degree.

It is notable that the Department produced the best graduating student in the Faculty of Social Sciences in 2001/2002 and 2002/2003. The Department has received praise about the quality of its students from the Dean of the Faculty, from the Director General of the Debt Management Office (Dr Mansur Muktar) and from employers of the graduates of the Department. It is noteworthy that graduates of the Department include the Chief Economic Adviser to the President (Professor Ojowu), the Special Adviser to the President on Economic and Social Matters (Professor Kwanashie), Deputy Governor Central Bank of Nigeria (Dr Sanusi) and so on. Many others are providing valuable services in Universities, Public Service and international organizations such as the African Development Bank.

The postgraduate programme of the department began in 1976 with 6 students and by 2001; the department had produced 117 Masters of Science and 13 Doctors of Philosophy graduates. Between 2002 and 2005, the Department graduated 44 Masters of Science and four Ph.D candidates. The four Ph.D graduates are members of the academic staff of three Nigerian Universities: ABU (one), University of Ilorin (two) and University of Abuja (one). Currently, the Department is training the academic staff on a growing number of universities: ABU, Ilorin, Nigerian Defense Academy University Nasarawa State, Yola and Bayero University Kano. In addition, the Department is training member of Staff of several other tertiary institutions including Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria; Kaduna Polytechnic; Federal Polytechnic Minna and so on.

Mission

To produce professional economists whose thinking and capacity to find solutions to economic problems would drive Nigeria's development process;

To investigate and analyze Nigerian, regional and global economic problems;

To engage actively in the search for solutions to national and global problems of development including poverty, inequality, exchange, conflicts and so on;

To provide high quality research services to Nigeria and the world;

To provide high quality community services to Nigeria and the World;

To extend the frontiers of economic science.

Philosophy

The Department believes that its niche lies in providing a learning environment in which students acquire (a) insights into competing economic theories, underlying values and methodology, (b) capacity for investigating basic and applied economic phenomena and problems, (c) generalized and specialized problem solving skills, (d) capacity to start and grow businesses, (e) capacity for public policy analysis and (f) capacity to offer economic advise to economic entities – individuals, households, businesses, governments and international organizations. The Department thus, believes in a synergic balance between (a) theory, tools and practice and (b) between universality and spatial uniqueness. To this end, the courses structure prepares students for (a) postgraduate work, (b) employment in private sector, (c) employment in public sector and (d) self-employment. It is interesting that a study by Garba, Arebgeyen and Usman (2004) found that students in the Department ranked postgraduate studies in economics first as their preferred options after graduation. Second was further study in business, law and accounting while employment in private and public sector were third and fourth respectively.

Academic Programmes

Staff List