The Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology is one of the foundation Departments in the University. It commenced as the Department of Botany in 1982/1983 session with 9 students, 3 academic staff and a technologist. In 1999, the name of the Department was changed to the Department of Plant Science and Forestry but with the commencement of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences in the University, Forestry was seeded to the new Faculty and the Department was known as the Department of Plant Science until 2016 when the name was changed to the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology.

Students’ enrolment in the Department has risen geometrically to five hundred and seventeen (625) and the staff strength has also increased tremendously. The Department now offers the following programmes:

1. B. Sc. (Hons.) Plant Science and Biotechnology
2. Postgraduate Diploma in Plant Resources Management
3. M. Sc. and Ph.D. Degrees in:

a. Lower Green Plants Ecology

b. Plant Genetics and Breeding

c. Plant Pathology/Mycology,

d. Plant Anatomy

e. Plant Palynology

f. Plant Physiology

g. Phytomedicine/ Ethnobotany

h. Plant Resources Management.

The Department has produced numerous notable alumni spread all over the world in several fields such as academics, industries, governments, ministries, civil and public services. The Department is today recognised as a leading Department in Nigeria. This was reflected in her holding the most successful conference of the Botanical Society of Nigeria (BOSON) in 2018 which was attended by nearly all Botanists in Nigeria and those in Diaspora.