BRIEF HISTORY

Originally two separate units in the former Department of Biological Sciences, the Botany and Microbiology units were merged late 1997 following the recommendations of the Committee on Rationalization of courses in the University of Lagos.  As in all other restructured teaching units the component units of this Department will continue to offer the courses that define their specificity or define them as autonomous disciplines in the sciences while also ensuring that their students are given the desired broad training through common Faculty and University required courses.

PHILOSOPHY

BOTANY deals with the study of plants from many points of view.  This science investigates the internal and external structures of plants their functions as regards nutrition, growth, movements and reproduction, their adaptations to be varying conditions of the environment, their distribution in space and time, their life-history, relationship and classification, the laws involved in their evolution from lower and simpler forms to higher and more complex ones, the laws of heredity, the uses that plants may be put to, and lastly, the different methods that can be adopted to improve plants for better use by mankind.

The Unit's teaching and research cover the complete range of disciplines viz., anatomy, Biosystematics, biochemistry, plant breeding, ecology, mycology, plant pathology, physiology and  plant anatomy.  This makes it easy for Botany graduates to be employed in Agriculture and Research Institutes, Financial Institutions, Quarantine services, Mineral prospecting organisation, Schools and Universities.

MICROBIOLOGY programme is designed to expose students to the basic fields of specialisation in Microbiology and their relationships with other biological disciplines.  Students are exposed to both pure and applied courses in Microbiology with the main aim of satisfying the manpower needs of research institutes, secondary schools, institutions of higher learning, industries, and hospitals.  The programme prepares the students for self-employment and they make meaningful contributions in all forms of professional activities in which they may become engaged.  It also offers sufficient knowledge of theoretical principles to enable promising graduates undertake postgraduate work in Microbiology and related disciplines.

ACTIVITIES

BOTANY DEGREE PROGRAMME

The programme is designed to produce independent and self-sufficient graduates properly trained in both the intellectual and technical aspects of Botany, the fundamental life science.  Particular emphasis is placed on encouraging our graduates to think for themselves and to be both creative in their design of experiments and rigorous in the analysis of their results.  The Unit's teaching and research cover the complete range of disciplines viz., Plant anatomy, Environmental Botany, Biosystematics, biochemistry, biotechnology, plant breeding, ecology, ethnobotany, mycology, Paleobotany plant pathology, physiology and horticultural.  This makes it easy for Botany graduates to be employed in Agriculture and Research Institutes, Financial Institutions, Quarantine services, Mineral prospecting organisation, Schools and Universities.

MICROBIOLOGY DEGREE PROGRAMME

  The programme is designed to expose students to the basic fields of specialisation in Microbiology and their relationships with other biological disciplines.  Students are exposed to both pure and applied courses in Microbiology with the main aim of satisfying the man-power needs of research institutes, secondary schools, institutions of higher learning, industries, and hospitals.  The programme prepares the students for self-employment and the make meaningful contributions in all forms of professional activities in which they may become engaged.  It also offers sufficient knowledge of theoretical principles to enable promising graduates undertake postgraduate work in Microbiology and related disciplines.