The Microbiology Degree option was one of the three programs introduce at the foundation of the original Department of Biological Sciences in 1983. This programme has been graduating students since 1985/86 session.
The Department of Microbiology which was a unit in the former Department of Biological Sciences was carved out in 2004 and is now a full-fledged Department. Since inception, the Department has had the privilege of being administered by competent heads of Department as detailed in the table below:

LIST OF HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

The programme is designed for the award of degree at the end of the fourth year of study. The department offers courses which will enable students acquire modern basic, applied and industrial knowledge of microorganisms, the interrelationships between them and other organisms and their environment. The pattern of the training is as follows: During the first year, the candidates are trained in general science, general studies (GNS) and General Biology including introduction to microorganisms. In the second year, the students are exposed to what microorganisms are, their diversity and the interrelationships among them. The first half of the third year exposes students to the role of microorganisms in different ecosystems. The knowledge acquired is employed when the students go on a six-month industrial training programme. In the fourth (final) year, candidates are exposed to applied and production courses in Microbiology. Thus, with a sound basic and theoretical training at 100 to 200 levels and functional training and industrial experience at 300 level, the candidates are prepared for career training in Applied Microbiology at 400 level.
The Department, being interested in value for life education, seeks to develop   the student in totality, to be well equipped to face the challenges of the world outside the university environment and widen their horizon beyond their area of specialization.  The students would acquire basic skills required for existence in a modern society and would be trained, not just for entrepreneurship, but in such a way that they have critical awareness of their roles in society, so that they can contribute maximally to its development.
The Department will explore avenues for linkage arrangement with reputable       universities outside Nigeria for collaborative research and student exchanges. Academic staff members which are available across the different areas of specialization in microbiology are engaged in researches relevant to scientific and biotechnological needs of the country.