The Department of Electronic Engineering was created in 1981 by splitting the existing department of Electrical/Electronic Engineering into two distinct departments. The creation of the two departments had the approval of the NUC.
The department of Electronic Engineering was created to harness the explosion of knowledge in the field of electronics to satisfy deep national needs for skilled engineers in the vital areas of telecommunications, computers, control, instrumentation, digital and microprocessor based design, computer networking, artificial intelligence and robotics.
The department produced the first batch of graduates in 1985. In 1984 the department started a Postgraduate programme for M. Eng. and Ph.D. Degrees aimed at producing specialists for industry and universities. This programme enables the department foster collaborative research between it and a number of major Nigeria industries.
As the oldest department of Electronic Engineering in Nigeria, the department is keenly aware of its leadership role in spreading awareness of the importance of Electronic Engineering in the industrial development of the nation. In 1985, it organized a highly successful national workshop on microprocessors. And in 1989, it organized an International Conference On Developing Countries And The New Information Age: DECONIA – 89.