AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

      AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

                   * ABOUT AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY

                   * BRIEF HISTORY

                     * UNDERGRADUATE COURSES AT AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA.

  Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU) is a public research university located in the Northern part of Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is a notable federal government university in Nigeria and one of the largest universities in Africa.

  Founded on 4^th October of 1962, ABU is one of the first generation universities created to serve the Nigerian Northern region ab initio.

  It was named after Ahmadu Bello, the late Sarduana of Sokoto and the premier of the Northern Nigeria.

 The university is located in Kaduna state with two campuses in Samaru and kongo. The colour of the university is green and her name is shortened ABU. The university also operates a pre-degree school in Funtua, just few kilometer from Samaru campus.

       

           

   BRIEF HISTORY

Towards Nigerian Independence on October, 1960, Nigeria had University of Ibadan, UI, as her only university.

 A report known as Ashby commission report recommended establishing a university in each of the 3 defunct Regions and the Capital city, Lagos of old Nigeria. Even before this, the Regional Governments had begun planning on establishing universities.

  Nevertheless, the Ashby commission report recommendations gave the direction and nurtured the momentum which led to the creation of the University of Northern Nigeria at Zaria. The university absorbed the facilities of the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology at Samaru lying next to Zaria.

  The law which established the university was passed by the Northern Region legislature in 1961. The university also inherited the structures/facilities of the then Agricultural Research Institute at Samaru, Institute of Administration Zaria, Veterinary Research institute on the Jos Plateau and Ahmadu Bello College in Kano.

  At inception the university had 4 faculties with 15 departments and about 426 students. Arrangements were made and the university was later named after Ahmadu Bello and Ahmadu Bello College at Kano was then renamed to the name of the past Emir of Kano, Abdullahi Bayero.

  ABU’s 1^st vice-chancellor, Dr Norman Alexander, A British by reported ancestry born in New Zealand was a physicist instrumental in the establishment of many Commonwealth Universities.

  Under his leadership, the university witnessed new developments and programs, rapid student enrollments, major buildings, development in academic and administrative staffing and others. He was later succeeded by Dr Ishaya Shuaibu Audu, a medical doctor and associate professor at the University of Lagos. ABU would later go on to produce succeeding VCs which piloted the affairs of the institution in various capacities.

  As at the time of writing this Article, the current VC of ABU is Ibrahim Garba, a geologist trained in the institution. He took the office in 2015.

  ABU had grown and developed to become one of the greatest universities in the black Continent, with about 82 departments. Ahmadu Bello University had produced and still producing eminent people in different fields of human endeavors and is a leading name in STEM education in Nigeria. Also prominent in her agricultural science research and development in Nigeria. ABU has about 12 research institutes/specialized centers and has many other institutions/Colleges affiliated to her.

 It boasts of the largest Teaching hospital in the country and has the largest land mass of a university in Nigeria. In many University rankings, ABU is on the top 4 best institutions of higher learning in the country with 19 states as her catchment area. It still accommodates some candidates from the Southern region, and even beyond Nigeria.

Ahmadu Bello Universty, Zaria had also helped nurture two other Nigerian Universities; Abubakar Tafawa Belewa University, Bauchi and Bayero University Kano.

  ABU is also known for her A level program, IJMB (Interim Joint Matriculation Board) which helps students secure direct entry admission into the institution and other Nigerian schools.

 ABU has a strong Alumni association established in the early 1960s, for the purpose of developing and sustaining the institution. Admission into most programs in ABU is greatly competitive.

        FACULTIES IN AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA

1.    ADMINISTRATION

2.    AGRICULTURE

3.    ARTS

4.    EDUCATION

5.    ENGINEERING

6.    ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

7.    LAW

8.    LIFE SCIENCE

9.    MEDICINE

10.                       PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE

11.                       PHYSICAL SCIENCE

12.                       SOCIAL SCIENCE

13.                       VETERINARY MEDICINE

Some of the courses offered are as follows: medicine, nursing, pharmacy, chemical engineering, economics, accountancy, law, geology, veterinary medicine, metallurgical engineering, biochemistry, theater and performing arts, mathematics, radiography, French, architecture, automotive engineering, physics, chemistry, medical laboratory science, Hausa, Islamic/sharia law, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, textile science and technology, history, health education, physiology, statistics, surveying and geoinformatics, Arabic studies, library and information science, dentistry, guidance and counseling, public administration etc.

 For the total list of courses available in all the faculties in ABU, follow the link below:
   >>>>   Updated list of courses in ABU, Zaria