A growth story shaped by state creation, university vision, and academic evolution
Creation of Ebonyi State
Ebonyi State was created on October 1, 1996, generating the need for a state-owned university capable of expanding access to quality higher education and responding to the aspirations of the people.
Department established
Ebonyi State University commenced academic activities during the 1999/2000 session, and the Department of Mass Communication was established as one of the pioneer departments in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
Transfer to Faculty of Social Sciences
With the restructuring of the University’s academic system, the department moved to the Faculty of Social Sciences in recognition of its interdisciplinary relationship with the social sciences.
Faculty merger
A further restructuring in August 2014 merged the Faculties of Arts and Social Sciences into the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, where the department is currently domiciled.
Current achievements
The department now offers B.Sc., PGD, M.Sc., and Ph.D. programmes, supports practical media training, sustains scholarly journals, and continues to build a strong professional and academic reputation.
Institution-building and academic continuity
The planning of Ebonyi State University was entrusted to the authorities of the then College of Agricultural Sciences, Abakaliki Campus of ESUT. A committee chaired by Professor Ozo Nweke Ozo helped to develop the framework for the new University through consultations with distinguished scholars and site visits across Nigeria.
The Department of Mass Communication grew from modest beginnings in staff strength and student numbers, but the early academic culture was strong enough to produce a first graduating class that included two First Class graduates who later joined the academic staff. That trajectory of nurturing talent remains part of the department’s institutional story.