The National Universities Commission (NUC) is set to introduce 12 new academic programmes into the curriculum of universities across Nigeria, in a bid to enhance 21st-century skill acquisition, employability, and self-reliance among graduates.
According to the Nigerian Tribune, the programmes were either omitted or left outstanding during the initial development of the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) for Nigerian universities. The new additions include Artificial Intelligence, Classical Christian Education, Community Health Science, Cooperative Economics and Management Studies, Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science, Geomatics Engineering, Intelligence and Security Studies, Parasitology and Entomology, Sports Management, Telecommunication Science, Water Sanitation and Hygiene, and Islamic Economics and Finance.
A special panel has been constituted to refine the curriculum content of these programmes and integrate them into the existing CCMAS framework, following validation by relevant stakeholders.
Executive Secretary of the NUC, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, stated that the move follows multiple requests from universities and professional bodies, which prompted the commission to act on gaps identified during a comprehensive two-year curriculum review exercise.
