879 new programmes introduced in Nigerian varsities in 2025 — NUC boss

The Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abdullahi Ribadu, has reaffirmed his commitment towards transforming the Nigerian University System (NUS) for improved quality of graduates of the system and global competitiveness.

He accordingly revealed that more than 879 new programmes were introduced in the Nigerian Universities in 2025 based on the recently approved Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), and implementation commenced in all universities across the country.

The CCMAS developed by NUC is a framework guiding Nigerian university programmes, with updates rolling out for new and existing courses, focusing on 70% core content, 30% university-specific, and incorporating 21st-century skills like digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving, with specifics varying by discipline.

Ribadu in a chat in Abuja, recalled that he outlined a seven-point cardinal agenda that will guide him in his roadmap for the NUC-NUS when he assumed duties last December 2024, emphasising that his administration would remain focused on these set objectives, aimed at reforming and repositioning the system in the best interest of the nation.

He stressed that the roadmap was designed in tune with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, geared towards delivering competitive higher education to the Nigerian teeming youths, in order for them to be relevant on the global stage.

The Executive Secretary highlighted the seven-point strategic goals which will guide his tenure and scorecard after five years as follows: Increasing Access, Enhancing Funding and External Support, Driving Digitisation, Strengthening Quality Assurance, Promoting Innovation and Research, Stabilising the Academic Calendar and Revisiting NUC Laws.

On the efforts to resolve the lingering crisis between the government and staff unions public universities, Ribadu revealed that before the close of the year 2025, pending issues regarding negotiations with University based unions on FGN/ University-Based Unions 2009 Agreements were fully resolved, which is in line with his commitment of ensuing a crisis-free and stable NUS that will be a pride to all Nigerians.

He noted that the Commission sustained its key roles in the re-negotiation process which enabling the parties to put the issues behind them and attain this new milestones, thus creating some renewed hope of stability in the system as we begin the year 2026.

The Executive Secretary highlighted some of the recorded successes to include the Commission’s facilitation of: the Payment of arrears of negotiated Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) and Earned Allowances (EA) in the sum of N50 billion ; Mainstreaming of the EAA and EA into the salaries of university workers with effect from 2026.

Others were the approval of N150 billion revitalisation fund and release of N50 billion Naira of the fund, which is awaiting disbursement as well as the payment of accumulated promotion arrears in Federal Universities and Release of third-party deductions of the paid withheld salary of university staff due to strike action in 2020.

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Explaining further on the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and deliverables based on each goals set, he highlighted that towards increasing access and balance, the NUC under his watch in 2025, had expanded the number of Public Universities with the addition of seven new Federal institutions established by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), namely: Federal University of Environment and Technology, Tai Town, Ogoniland, Rivers State; Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, Kaduna State formerly Nok University, Kachia); Tai Solarin Federal University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu-Ode, Taken over from Ogun State); Federal University of Agriculture and Development Studies, Iragbuji, Osun State, Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin-Ekiti, Ekiti State; Federal University of Agriculture and Technology , Okeho, Oyo State and Federal University of Health Sciences and Technology, Tsafe, Zamfara State.

He added that there are six new state universities in place, while private universities have increased by 20, within the period, highlighting that these developments would be sustained in the new year with more rigorous regulatory engagements, in order to maintain quality and global standards.

Also under his watch, the Commission attained a landmark achievement with the approval of the first ever Branch Campus, Lincoln University College, Malaysia, Kumo Branch Campus, Gombe State- under the Trans-National Education (TNE) universities programme in Nigeria and the addition of two new Distance Learning Centres across the country, bringing the total now to 36 degree awarding distance learning institutions( the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN), four new private open universities and 31 dual mode universities), to promote blended learning mode in the NUS.

Speaking in the area of quality assurance and ensuring standards in the Nigerian University System, the NUC boss said the Commission has consistently and successfully conducted the routine October/ November 2025 accreditation of old programmes and resource verification for new programmes to ensure that the requisite manpower and material resources in the universities were in line with laid down academic standards.

He disclosed that 879 new programmes were introduced in the Nigerian Universities in the outgone year 2025 based on the recently approved Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), while similar accreditation exercises were conducted on the various affiliates institutions as well as Distance Learning Centres whose approved courses, are due for visits within the year under review and these exercises had now been structured towards standardization of Nigerian Universities for global competitiveness.

According to him, the Commission has continued to collaborate with the University of Sussex, United Kingdom in organising professional development courses for Nigerian faculty.

He revealed that Under the Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE) Project, the Commission facilitated the formal closure of the ACE Impact phase, while it opened Engagements with the World Bank, which was currently in advanced discussions on a follow-up phase (ACE Innovate) – for which the Federal Government is processing a request of $150 million.

He added that the Commission successfully completed preparatory activities and launched the €38 million Blueprint ICT Development Project funded by AFD, culminating in the selection of 10 federal universities and the inauguration of key governance structures to drive the project implementation, stressing that all these are expected to have ripple effect on research output, quality of programmes in the universities and overall national development.

The Executive Secretary also said the Sustainable Procurement Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) Project had secured a one year extended project cycle up to June 2026, with $60million additional financing being discussed.

He also stated that the Commission recently held Interaction with Professional Bodies on Accreditation of Programmes to ensure harmonisation of the quality assurance framework.