We’re reviewing varsity curriculum to make graduates employable —NUC

THE Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abubakar Rasheed, has revealed that the Nigerian university curriculum is currently under review to improve the quality of the system and make graduates globally competitive.

He spoke at the seventh convocation ceremony of Veritas University, Bwari, Abuja on Saturday, where over 141 students were graduated.

Rasheed, who was represented by a Director in his Office, Mr Chris Maiyaki, said government was concerned about complaint by industry employers that graduates were unemployable.

He noted that a committee headed by a former Executive Secretary of NUC, Professor Peter Okebukola, is helping the Commission on the curriculum and ongoing efforts to reposition the nation’s university system.

Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Hyacinth Ichoku, in his speech disclosed that 10 graduands bagged first class while 46 were awarded Second Class Upper division.

He added that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has been subsidising the tuition fees payable by each student of the institution to the tune of N1.2 million every academic session.

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He explained that out of the 141 graduating students, 109 are undergraduate while 32 are postgraduates.

He said the decision of the Bishops’ Conference to subsidize tuition fees of students was to encourage parents and guardians to enroll their children in the institution dedicated to provision of quality education, character formation and moral rectitude of students.

He said the university has zero-tolerance for sexual harassment, cultism, examination malpractice and other social vices that permeate fabric of the society in Nigeria.