The Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Ituku-Ozalla had come into inception by 1977. It was initially a sub- department within the Department of Surgery, until a point when it started functioning as a department.

Since inception till date, the department has been evolving from a department with General Ophthalmology as her main focus to a department with various sub-speciality units at different levels of operation. These sub-speciality units include Community Ophthalmology, Paediatrics Ophthalmology & Strabismus, Glaucoma, External disease/Cornea, Vitreo-Retina, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Oculo-plastics and Low Vision rehabilitation. The ultimate goal of the department is to grow into a full-fledged institute of Ophthalmology.