The National Universities Commission (NUC) has concluded its series of train-the-trainers workshops for staff of 206 universities across the country on the implementation of the new universities’ curriculum.
The training programme was to ensure the effective delivery of the new curriculum, the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), developed by the Commission for Nigerian Universities.
The Coordinator of a segment of the exercise, Prof. Emeritus Peter Okebukola, said the objective of the training “is to strengthen the knowledge and skills of all university staff in the effective implementation of the CCMAS.
Speaking to newsmen in Abuja at the end of the four-month training exercise, which ended on Thursday, Professor Okebukola said the overall training was coordinated by Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai, a former Minister of Education and a member of the NUC Strategy Advisory Committee.
According to him, “The four-month training had two components: the first was the training of the Directors of Academic Planning and three staff members of each university nominated by the Vice-Chancellor.
“This phase of the programme, which lasted for three weeks, had an onsite and an online component and was coordinated by Professor Yakubu Azare of Bayero University, Kano.
He said the second phase of the programme was on “Practical Skills for Delivering the CCMAS in an Online Environment”.
This, he said, involved Directors of ICT and two staff members of each university, nominated by the VC.
Prof. Okebukola said this phase lasted for three months and was conducted at the NUC-NOUN Virtual Institute for Capacity Building in Higher Education (VICBHE).”
In a press release after the graduation ceremony of the second phase of the training, Okebukola stated that the overall coordinator of the training project, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, was delighted at the success of the two phases of the training.
According to him, she extolled the commitment of the seven nominees of the Vice Chancellors of each university to the demands of the training.
On his part, Okebukola, who is the immediate past Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, lauded the impressive efforts of Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, the immediate-past Executive Secretary of NUC, in the rapid revitalisation of the Nigerian university system and the support received for the implementation of this agenda from the former Honourable Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu.
In his goodwill message, the acting Executive Secretary of NUC, Christopher Maiyaki, commended the participants and pledged to continue with vigour the implementation of the revitalization agenda set by Professor Rasheed.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Olufemi Peters, felt delighted that NOUN fully sponsored the training as part of its corporate social responsibility to the Nigerian university system and urged the participants to join hands to ensure the successful implementation of the CCMAS.
Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, Honourable Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology of Ogun State and former VC of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, stressed in his presentation the importance of blending onsite and online modes in the effective delivery of the CCMAS.
The three-month intensive training, according to Okebukola, involved 10 hands-on practicals on how to deliver the CCMAS in an online environment; two discussion forum sessions; a special seminar session; an end-of-course comprehensive examination; and a project.
At the graduation ceremony, Distinction Plus certificates (for having an overall score of 90% or above of the total score of 1130) were awarded to 90 participants.
A total of 92 distinction grades, 57 credits, 40 merits, and 27 passes were awarded. Additionally, 290 participants received the Basic Proficiency in Moodle certificate.
Goodwill messages were received from the Chairperson of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors, Professor Lilian Salami, and the Secretary-General of the Association of African Universities, Professor Olusola Oyewole.
Professor Oyewole whose AAU serves as the voice of higher education in Africa, commended NUC and noted that the Nigerian model of curriculum development “is being encouraged for adoption by other African countries.”
Prizes were awarded to Dr Umar Mohammed of Federal University, Kashere (best overall participant from the federal university sub-system); Dr Abdulmalik Ahmad Lawan of Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Kano (best overall participant from the state university sub-system); and Dr Christopher Onova of Achievers University, Owo (best overall participant from the private university sub-system);
Others were Omotayo Onaiyekan (the best overall participant from NUC); Professor Rosemary Obasi of Benson Idahosa University (the most committed VICBHE participant, female); Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, Honourable Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Ogun State (the most committed VICBHE participant, male); and Dr Komommo Iwarra of Havilla University (the best overall participant).
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