History

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria was established in 1972. It is the pioneer department in the training of professional town planners at university level in Nigeria. Since its establishment, the department has grown in staff compliment, number of programmes and student population. The academic staff members were initially few and mainly architect – planners from Poland, India and USA. Now, there are seventeen (17) indigenous lecturers who are pure – planners, geographer – planners, architect – planners and engineer – planners. The department offers the two – year professional Master of Science degree in Urban and Regional planning, Urban Management and Tourism & Recreation Planning and PhD (Planning and Urban Management Studies) degree. Given the department’s leading role in planning and urban management education and training, and the need for increased supply of professional planners and urban managers in Nigeria, a 5 – year Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (B.URP) programme was added in 1988. The quest professionalism in the field of urban management and tourism and recreation led to the institution of Urban Management and Tourism & Recreation Planning programmes in 2008. The programme is now in its 33rd year and has produced 25 sets of graduates. The M.Sc (URP), M.Sc Urban Management and M.Sc. Tourism and Recreation Planning programmes are based on a balance of theory courses and studio, while the PhD is basically research based. The student population of the department has grown from 12 to the current 518, about 92% of which are B.URP candidates.