The Department of English and Literary Studies is one of the eleven departments that came into being following the establishment of the University in 2011. It had as its pioneer Head, Professor Joseph Sunday Aliyu who served for two academic sessions. The department, at the initial stage, seeks to give attention to the three broad aspects of literary studies-language, literature and drama- thereby awarding the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in English and Literary Studies. It is expected that the department will eventually evolve to award three distinct degrees in these broad areas of study. In this case, students majoring in English Language will be exposed dominantly to the general structure of human language and in particular to the English language. They will also be exposed to the various branches of linguistics or language studies. Similarly, students majoring in Literature will be exposed to contemporary forms.� To the same extent, majors in language will have training in the theories and practice of drama and theatre studies. Besides these core foci, the department will seek to engender creativity and the dynamic deployment of the skills to be imparted to the students for the resolution of the practical and knowledge issues of the Nigerian nation as well as participate actively as members of the global community of knowledge holders.

The broad objectives of the BA (Hon) in English and Literary Studies of the Federal University Lokoja are as outlined below:

1. To train students to acquire adequate communicative competence in both spoken and written forms of the English language.
2. To equip students with the knowledge of the forms and features of the varieties of English used in different professional domains such as business, electronic media, print journalism, advertising, new media, publishing and biography.

• To equip students with the literary skills of creative writing, critical thinking, and analysis.

1. To expose students to relevant literary theories and practices that will enable them to appreciate and explore the sociocultural, political experiences encountered in various art forms including, films, movies and the mass media.
2. To prepare students to pursue postgraduate studies in English Language, Literature and Communication Studies.

To employ the best and most modern practices and techniques in the teaching and training of students in English Language, Linguistics, Literature and Drama.

To be a first-rate department in the training of world-class graduates of English and Literary Studies.