When the then Ondo State Government in 1982 was drawing up terms of reference for the then Obafemi Awolowo University, Ado-Ekiti (Now Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti) planning committee for the establishment of the university, the government was clearly unequivocal in her intention to establish as a matter of urgency the Department of Geography because geographers were needed urgently in conceptualizing regional planning. urban planning and other relevant sub-disciplines of geography, to make the home of man and his environmental patterns and process sustainable, giving way for different stages of societal development. The Department of Geography took off as one of the pioneer departments in the university in 1982  Professor Olusegun Areola and Mr. F. I. Afolabi (Now Professsor F. I. Afolabi) as pioneer members of staff. Shortly after the then Senate to the university approved the programme of the Department, the following members of staff joined the Department. Prof. M.A.O. Ayeni (Visiting Professor), Dr. A.0. Aweto (Visiting Senior Lecturer), Dr. F.S. Ebisemiju (Lecturer I), Dr. J.T. Hathaway (Lecturer I), Mr H.K. Ogunsusi (Cartographer). In 1996, the Department put up a paper for the approval of Senate to change the name of the Department from Department of Geography to Geography and Planning Science. The change process was approved at the 60^th regular Senate of the University. Since this change, the department recorded increased students enrolments. The Departments inherited two programmes (Environmental Management and Tourism and Hospitality Management) from the then University of Science and Technology, Ifaki-Ekiti (USTI) with the merger of USTI with EKSU. With the successful verification of Tourism and Hospitality Management by the National University Commission (NUC), the department of Tourism is now a full-fledged Department in the Faculty of the social Sciences of the University.  

Presently the Department has fifteen (15) academic staff; 6 professors, one Reader one Senior Lecturer, Two Lecturer I, Four Lecturer II; One Assistant Lecturer.

PHILOSOPHY

The philosophy of the Department is to produce Geography and Planning graduates who can effectively take advantage of the wide variety of career opportunities open to Geographers and Town Planners in both the public and private sectors of the national economy and academic and non-academic pursuits. The B.Sc degree programme in Geography and Planning Science, therefore, places great emphasis on the practical applications of geographic and planning knowledge to natural resources evaluation and management and to prepare students for further training (specialization) in the field of Physical and Human Geography and in Urban and Regional planning. Through a balanced combination of courses, the department will establish and develop in students the skills needed to observe, measure. gather. analyze and represent by maps and otherwise (cartographically), the spatial structure of physical and human phenomena on the earth’s surface and to appreciate the complex interrelationships of physical and socio-economic system. The geography and planning programme is also structured in such a way that students have ample opportunity to study subjects other than geography and planning especially in the first two years of their study.

The specific objectives of the Department are:

1. To instill in students a sound knowledge of Geography and Planning and appreciation of its application in different socio-cultural contexts and to involve the students in an intellectual stimulating and satisfying experience of learning and studying the working of society.
2. To cultivate in students the ability to apply geographical/planning knowledge and skills to the understanding and solution of societal problems in Nigeria and elsewhere.
3. To provide students with broad and well balanced knowledge of geographical, planning/theories and methods.
4. To provide students with relevant knowledge and skills base from which they can proceed to further studies in special areas of Geography, Planning or multi-disciplinary areas involving geography or Planning. .
5. To instill in students an appreciation of the importance of Geography and Planning in spatial and environmental contexts.

The following seasoned academics have one time or the other took up the Headship/Leadership of the Department: