Experts appraise new varsity curriculum, laud NUC

QUALITY assurance experts in higher education have applauded the efforts of the National Universities Commission (NUC) at curriculum re-engineering with the development and launch of the new Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS).

The executive secretary of the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi) Africa, Professor Juma Shabani, the Secretary General of the Association of African Universities (AAU), Professor Olusola Oyewole and scholars at a global quality assurance conference held in Washington DC said  that CCMAS would enhance quality teaching and learning in Nigerian universities.

Similarly, commenting after appraisal of the new Nigerian universities’ curriculum, a former head of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Bamako Cluster Office, Professor Shabani, who had participated in similar exercises, described the process as “revolutionary” and worth emulating by other African countries in the quest to attain the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Speaking at the post-launch sensitisation workshop held for vice  chancellors, Professor Oyewole who delivered the keynote address was excited about what he labelled as “the future-fit curricula” and described NUC’s efforts as “building the future today.”

According to him “the executive secretary of the National Universities Commission, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, has become the instrument for restoring the originality in the Nigerian university system. He is returning to the Nigerian university system with confidence and trust.”

Scholars who got a preview of the CCMAS at the 2023 global conference of the Washington-based Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) International Quality Group (CIQG) held between January 23 and 26 were unanimous in applauding the giant strides of Nigeria and eager to receive updates on the full implementation of the new curriculum.

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja on return from the Washington conference, the chairman of the NUC Strategy Advisory Committee (STRADVCOM), Professor Peter Okebukola, attributed the trajectory to the ‘far-sightedness’ of Professor Rasheed, who had fired a revolution in the Nigerian university system which is being guided by the Blueprint on Rapid Revitalisation of University Education in Nigeria (2019-2023)

According to Okebukola the curriculum re-engineering process under Professor Rasheed is not just a quick-fix which began a few months ago as wrongly portrayed by some.

Okebukola, former executive secretary of NUC, stressed that some, out of ignorance, believe that the NUC has no business with facilitating curriculum development and minimum standards setting for universities but they fail to note that such power is pursuant to the provisions of Education (National Minimum Standard and Establishment of Institutions) Act No. E3 L.F.N. 2004, and National Universities Commission Act No. N81 Laws of the Federation Nigeria (L.F.N.) 2011, which empowers the NUC to set minimum academic standards for Nigerian universities.

Okebukola, who had observed similar quality assurance-related exercises across the world, singled out Professor Rasheed’s model as one of the best in Africa as it embeds two follow-up activities in the package.

‘‘One is the intensive training/capacity building of implementers of the CCMAS, a project that is to be coordinated by Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i (former Honourable Minister of Education and member of STRADVCOM).

“The other is the development of textual materials to support the implementation. This project is coordinated by Emeritus Professor Nimi Briggs (chairman, Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Federal Universities and member of STRADVCOM),’’ he said.

Okebukola concluded that from his personal assessment, the NUC CCMAS is not configured as a business-as-usual document, saying it has provided an allowance of 30 percent for universities to innovate and take care of any gap the Senate of each university wishes to fill.

‘It is a living document which will keep adding more cells,’ he added.