Department of Sociology, Federal University of Lafia

The Department of Sociology was created alongside other Departments when the University commenced its studies in the 2011/2012 academic session. The bachelor’s degree in social work came up as a programme in the Department of Sociology in the 2013/ gramme in the Department of Sociology in the 2013/2014 Academic Session. In the 2018/2019 academic session, Social Work became a full-fledged Department and was separated from Department of Sociology, but a mutual relationship in terms of research, teaching, and exchange programmes is inexistence between the two departments. Only recently in November 2023, through the visionary approach of the current Vice Chancellor, Professor Shehu Abdul Rahman, a second programme again gained full autonomy; that is the B.Sc. Criminology and Security Studies programme which is now a full-fledged Department. These two growth projectiles from our humble homestead, indicate the dynamism which follows the positive attributions that engaging in sociological research can engender for human development. Meaning basically that no matter how you view it, Sociology enables thrusts in various academic directions that put the human being at its very centre of endeavour. Such that alongside pursuing the vision and mission of the Federal University of Lafia, our students acquire research skills that can, upon graduation, grant self-evident independence for income generation and self-reliance in a world suitably favoured to obtaining and maintaining sustainable developmental goals. The Department is therefore continuously guided by its vision of being dynamic and well-grounded in research and scholarship using global best practices. We also work assiduously to develop and inculcate in both staff and students a research culture that will enable them to contribute positively to social research, social policy, and societal development. Esther Anenge Gbaden attended University of Maiduguri and University of Ibadan from where she obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree and Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Sociology with specialization in Medical Sociology. She had obtained Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Sociology and Anthropology from the University of Maiduguri and a Diploma in Social Work for Development from the University of Jos. She currently lectures in the Department of Sociology, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria having voluntarily withdrawn her services from the University of Maiduguri where she taught Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology from 2008 until 2015. She is a Senior Lecturer and the Acting Head of Department of Sociology, Federal University of Lafia where she was recently awarded the Best Head of Department 2023 aside other commendations for her commitment to duty. Her research interest is in accessibility and utilization of health and medical services/facilities, maternal healthcare, and sexuality, with over 30 articles in both national and international journals.