History

History of the Department

The Department of English was established in 2009 at the inception of the University. It was then named the Department of Language and Linguistics with Professor Femi Abodunrin serving as the first Head of Department. The University separated the linguistics programme to form a new Department of Linguistics and African Languages in 2011 while the English programme joined other language programmes in a department named Languages and Literary Studies. It then came under the headship of the late Professor Mary Ebun Modupe Kolawole. Thereafter, the department was renamed Department of English with Dr. Moshood Zakariyah as head. Subsequent restructuring and unbundling took place and the programme at some point belonged to the Department of Linguistics, African, and European Languages to accommodate the B.A. Arabic, B.A. French, B.A. English, and B.A. Linguistics and Yoruba programmes. Professor Moshood Mahmood Jimba headed that department before Professor Mohammed Solih Alaso became the Head. Then there was the Department of English and Linguistics with Dr. Moshood Zakariyah and then Dr. Ayoola Oladunke Aransi as heads. On April 17, 2025, the Senate of the University approved the splitting of the Department to the Department of English and the Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages.