Established in 1966, the Department of Economics, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, is one of the oldest Departments of Economics in Nigerian Universities. Until 1996, the Department was part of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS). When in 1996 FASS was split into the Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Social Sciences, the Department of Economics became a part of the Faculty of Social Sciences. The Faculty of Social Sciences Comprises of other departments including Political Science and International Studies, Sociology and Mass Communication.

The Department since 1966 has been running undergraduate courses leading to the award of Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. Between 1966 and 1984, the Department produced a total of 665 undergraduate students, ten of which graduated with First Class Honours. The cumulative total was 1736 in 1993, 2,803 in 2001 and 3,516 at the end of the 2005/2006 academic session. Of the 631 students that graduated in 2002/2003 – 2005/2006, 1 student graduated with First Class Honours, 129 with Second Class Upper, 346 with Second Class Lower, 142 with Third Class, and 13 with Pass Degree. It is notable that the Department produced the best graduating student in the Faculty of Social Sciences in 2001/2002, 2002/2003 and 2005/2006 sessions, and in every session from 2009/2010 till date. The number of graduates has increased steadily over the years. Cumulatively, from 2008 – 2016, the Department has graduated about 1,700 students among whom were 19 with First Class Honours.

However, students’ enrolment has declined from the peak level of 1184 in 2004/2005 to 1029 in 2005/2006. The students’ strength further decreased from 2007 to date. This is because of the drastic reduction in students’ admission, since the last Accreditation exercise in order to meet the national average of students/staff ratio. As at 2016, the total number of undergraduate students in the Department is 760.

The postgraduate programme of the Department began in 1976 with 6 students and, by 2001, the Department had produced 117 Masters of Science and 13 Doctors of Philosophy graduates. Between 2007 and 2012, the Department graduated 64 Masters of Science and eighteen (18) PhD candidates. Some of the eighteen PhD graduates are members of the academic staff of several Nigerian universities including Ahmadu Bello University, University of Ilorin, University of Abuja, Bingham UniversityAbuja, and Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). Others are with the Presidency, Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Inland Revenue Service, etc. At present, the Department is training some of the academic staff of a number of universities including Ahmadu Bello University, Bayero University, Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, Federal University, Dutse, and Nasarawa State University, Keffi, to mention a few. In addition, the Department is training members of staff of several other tertiary institutions including Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria; Kaduna Polytechnic; Federal College of Education, Zaria, and the Federal Polytechnic Minna.

Over the years, the Department has received praise over the quality of its students from the Vice Chancellor of the University, the Dean of the Faculty and, notably, from Dr. Mansur Muktar, a former Minister of Finance of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, among others. Also, it is noteworthy that graduates of the Department include Professor Ojowu (a former Chief Economic Adviser to the President), Professor Mike Kwanashie (a former Special Adviser to the Vice President on Economic and Social Matters and currently the Vice Chancellor of Veritas University, Abuja), Dr Shamsudeen Usman (a former Honourable Minister of Planning), and His Royal Highness Dr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi who was the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and is at present the Emir of Kano. Many other graduates of the Department are providing valuable services and leadership in different fields of endeavor including universities, public service, business and international organizations such as the African Development Bank.