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  • Implementation of new curriculum to begin at varsities next month, says NUC

    Implementation of new curriculum to begin at varsities next month, says NUC

    The implementation of the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) will begin in September, the National Universities Commission (NUC) has said.

     The commission said the new CCMAS document would guide institutions in the design of curricula for their programmes while bringing necessary innovation into the content and delivery of their programmes towards achieving the overall goals of education and training in the country.

    It stated that the implementation would also help to sharpen the future of the education sector.

     Acting NUC Executive Secretary Chris Maiyaki, who announced this at a stakeholders’ colloquium on CCMAS yesterday in Abuja, said the document would reposition Nigerian universities to be among the best rated in Africa.

     The NUC boss said the CCMAS would have 70 per cent of the curriculum while the universities would decide on what to include in the remaining 30 per cent.

     Maiyaki said: “The role and development of the CCMAS is to ensure commitment in advancing our education and our great nation. NUC is primarily dedicated to ensuring quality and global competitiveness of Nigerian universities as well as the graduates we produce.

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     “The development of the CCMAS went through a painstaking process by bringing experts from our universities comprising professors, regulatory bodies, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and all stakeholders.

     “The CCMAS reflects global initiative that will equip graduates with knowledge and wherewithal that will advance the development of the nation.”

     Education Minister, Prof. Tahir Mamman, urged universities to make optimal use of the 30 per cent through their Senates’ input.

     He said: “There is no better place and time than now to develop a strategy that will guide tertiary institutions, particularly universities, in their mandate to provide appropriate manpower for the country.

     “This is by using a curriculum and applying minimum standards that would guarantee that we teach our students in such a way and manner that they would be highly skilled and employable to contribute to national development efforts.

     “Seventy per cent of the total curriculum is captured in the CCMAS while 30 per cent of the curriculum has been ceded to universities’ Senates to build in the uniqueness of their various universities.

    “This principle allows for a good deal of adaptation that suits not only local peculiarities of the universities but provides universities opportunities to carve a niche for themselves in areas of comparative advantage.” 

    A former Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) at Ile-Ife, Osun State, Prof. Michael Faborode, said the idea of the CCMAS was meant to promote diversification and differentiation in the system.

     This, he said, would provide proper conceptual administrative guidelines and a harmonised legal framework for higher education.

     The CCMAS was developed in 2018 following the review of the Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) – the curriculum guide for Nigerian universities, which had been in use since 2007.

     The CCMAS also expanded BMAS from 12 to 17 disciplines to reposition the system and reflect the realities of the 21st century.

    The 17 disciplines are: Administration and Management, Agriculture, Allied Health Sciences, Architecture, Arts, Basic Medical Sciences, Communication and Media Studies, Computing and Education.

     Others are: Engineering and Technology, Environmental Sciences, Law, Medicine and Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sciences, Social Sciences and Veterinary Medicine.

  • NUC approves new varsity for Imo

    The National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted provisional approval for the establishment of a new state-owned University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences in Imo State.

    NUC’s Executive Secretary Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, who presented the certificate of establishment to Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday in Abuja, said the state met all the requirements for the establishment of a university.

    He said: “In line with our rules, we shall recognise this institution because all requirements required for establishing a state university has been met. It will fully owned by the Imo State government.

    “The Imo State House of Assembly has enacted a law in respect of the university and the governor has assented to it. The University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences has all its strategic documents ready. NUC recognises the existence of the University of Agriculture and Environmental Studies as the second state-owned university, the 49th established by state governments and the 171st university in the Nigerian university system.”

    Okorocha said his administration decided to establish another university because of the need to expand access to tertiary education.

    Read also: NUC processing applications for 303 new private universities

    The governor, who identified infrastructure as key in setting up a university, said the state has provided for adequate infrastructure for the university’s take off. The government is partnering with the private sector to help sustain the institution, Okorocha added.

    He said: “We have over 600,000 students seeking admission into universities, and based on this, the government is building more universities to cushion this challenge. We already ensure infrastructure is in place and then it became easy to partner private investors. Funding is possible but most important is infrastructure.”

  • NUC processing applications for 303 new private universities

    The National Universities Commission (NUC) says it is currently processing applications for 303 new private universities to cater for the demand of tertiary education in the country.

    The Executive Secretary of NUC Prof. Abubakar Rasheed made this known at a two-day National Summit on Private Universities on Monday in Abuja.

    The summit had as its theme: “Private University Education Delivery in Nigeria: Challenges and Opportunities.’’

    Rasheed explained that applications were received from groups of individuals, corporate organisations, foundations and faith-based organisations from all over the country.

    The executive secretary, while delivering a lead paper at the maiden edition of the summit, said the country currently had 170 universities out of which 79 were private with 38, representing 48.11 per cent owned by faith-based organisations.

    He said 41 universities, representing 51.89 per cent were owned by corporate bodies, foundations or individuals.

    He noted that although there were many private universities in the country, most of them were still unable to fulfil their admission quotas as they admitted barely 6 per cent of the total university admissions in the country per session.

    Read also: ASUU laments plights of Nigerian university retirees

    He, therefore, said that this challenge was not enough to stop the issuance of licenses, as Nigeria needed more universities to cope with the high demand for university education.

    He listed some challenges private universities were faced with to include non-availability of quality infrastructure and facilities, merit-based student admission, staffing and sustainable funding, among others.

    Rasheed, however, said the summit was to serve as an avenue for the exchange and promotion of good practices in private university education delivery in Nigeria as well initiating a dialogue on the challenges and opportunities in the subsector.

    “The summit aims at supporting the Nigerian government’s effort at developing academic, institutional and executive capacities within the higher education subsector.

    “It will also enable it compete effectively and be relevant in an increasingly knowledge-driven world economy,” he said.

    Earlier, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), said that rather than help to solving the problems bedevilling the university system, private universities had complicated the matter.

    He said though there were first class private universities performing excellently within their mandates, there were some also that had come to complicate the corruption that was in the system as convocations in some private universities were more like family meetings where only members of the family took charge. (NAN)

  • Buhari urges ASUU to suspend strike in national interest

    President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to suspend its on-going industrial action in the interest of the country.

    The President gave the charge on Tuesday during the 3rd Convocation Ceremony of the Alex Ekwueme-Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo (AE-FUNAI) Ebonyi.

    Buhari, who was represented by Mr Victor Onuoha, Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) said government was aware of the challenges confronting the sector.

    “We are not unmindful of the funding challenge faced by the education sector, occasioned by dwindling resources and other competing national needs.

    “We will, however, continue doing the needful to improve the nation’s educational sector within available, limited resources,” he said.

    The President said that his administration realised the importance of education in nation building and pledged its continued support and provision to the sector.

    “We will continue providing specific infrastructure through annual appropriation and other interventions such as the Tertiary Education Trust (TET) Fund, NEEDS assessment, among others.

    “Universities have critical roles to play in nation building as they must justify their establishment through excellent, production-based research activities, innovative ideas, empowerment of youths among others,” he said.

    Read Also: Buhari rejects NASS’ approval for refund of N488.7b to states

    He congratulated the Alake of Egbaland, HRH Michael Gbadebo and Prof. Ihechukwu Madubuike, former Minister of Education and Health for the conferment of honourary doctoral degrees on them by the institution.

    “The conferment is in recognition of their immense contributions to the development of the nation’s university system.

    “I congratulate AE-FUNAI for the successful organisation of its third convocation ceremony and urge the graduands to utilise the opportunity and excel in their chosen careers,” he said.

    Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba, the university’s Vice Chancellor noted that the institution decided to honour its Chancellor, Gbadebo and Madubike for their immense contributions to the education sector of the country.

    “355 graduands are being celebrated presently as against 247 during our second convocation in 2017 and 124 in 2016.

    “The 355 graduands are being awarded bachelors degrees as follows: Faculty of Basic Management Sciences 62; Humanities 44; Management and Social Sciences 148; and Sciences 101,” he said.

    He noted that among the 355 graduands, 15 emerged with first class honours, 188 with second honours (upper division) 145 with second class honours (lower division) and seven with third class.

    Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Hyginus Nwokwu noted that the state government would collaborate with the institution to attain its desired global standard.

    “The government is donating N40million to the institution’s Faculty of Engineering to harness its students’ skills in meeting the contemporary development challenges facing the society,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Gbadebo and Madubuike donated N5million and N4million each respectively to the university for developmental purposes.

  • NUC approves seven programmes at TASCE

    The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved seven degree programmes for state – owned Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE), Omu-Ijebu, Ogun State.

    The approved programmes to be run in affiliation with the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, from the 2018/2019 academic session include: Political Science, Economics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Business Education; Guidance and Counselling; and Social Studies.

    Speaking on the Degree Programmes, the Provost, Dr Adeola Kiadese Lukmon, praised Governor Ibikunle Amosun and the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Modupe Mujota for the College’s development, which contributed to the actualisation of the programme.

    Lukmon added that with the affiliation, the vision of making TASCE a preferred College of Education in 21st Century had become a reality.

  • JABU gets approval to run PhD Programmes

    Joseph Ayo Babalola University ( JABU ) has received approval from the apex education regulatory body in Nigeria, the National Universities Commission (NUC) to run postgraduate programmes in some courses in the University.

    The courses approved for the commencement of PhD programmes are Accounting, Business Administration, Computer Science and Religious Studies.

    Speaking at the resource verification exercise that heralded the approval of the aforementioned programmes, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Theophilus Olowokure stressed that JABU is driven by values of integrity, transparency, prudence, humanism and tolerance.

    Read Also: I would love to lecture says JABU best graduating student

    Olowokure added that the approval to run these programmes would assist the University in the widespread of her services by ensuring that education is accessible to all and sundry and enable JABU achieve her goals and deliver on her promise of quality education in the Nigerian University System.

  • Three courses get NUC nod at Oduduwa varsity

    Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu (OUI) now has full accreditation for its Business Administration and Estate Management programmes.

    The accreditation came following a visit by a team from the National Universities Commission in May/June.

    Quantity Surveying, the third programme, got interim accreditation.

    While Business Administration was reviewed for accreditation for a second time, Estate Management and Quantity Surveying were presented for the first time as new programmes.

    According to the letter from the NUC, the full accreditation status conferred on the two courses is valid for five years, while that of the interim accreditation is for two years after which the programme will be revisited by NUC accreditation team.

    A summary of the results of the accreditation visitation showed that in the final assessment of the three programmes, Business Administration and Estate Management scored 81.7 and 81.2 per cent to earn full accreditation while Quantity Survey scored 67.9 per cent.

    Vice Chancellor, Oduduwa University, Prof Chibuzo Nwoke, attributed the university’s success to the spirit of hard work, commitment and sacrifice of the members of staff of the university, especially the standing accreditation committee which worked round the clock to always ensure that the institution had a good outing in all her NUC resources inspection and accreditation exercises.

    He expressed the institution’s elation at the success in view of the very stringent NUC conditions and the rigorous assessment process which is based on academic content, staffing, physical facilities, library and academic governance procedures, among others.

     

     

     

     

  • NUC urges VCs on sexual harassment

    THE Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Rasheed Adamu Abubakar, has advised vice chancellors on sexual harassment of female students.

    He said lecturers accused and found to be sexually harassing students must be punished.

    The NUC boss spoke at the 33rd Conference of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities with the theme: “Revitalisation of University Education in Nigeria”.

    It was held at the Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State.

    Abubakar said: “We must ensure that the image of our universities being dented by some unscrupulous perpetrators of sexual harassment is protected. If this trend is allowed to continue, the future of education is bleak. The universities should be seen as producing graduates that could compete favourably with their colleagues anywhere in the world.”

    He advised the vice chancellors not to restrict their research and academic collaborations to international universities, but to collaborate internally with their co-universities in Nigeria and ensure that their products can complete internationally.

    The executive secretary, who hoped that Nigerian graduates could compete anywhere in the world, however, lamented that some international institutions found it hard to employ Nigerian doctors, engineers and other professionals.

    Welcoming participants, the host and Vice Chancellor of the Redeemer University, Ede, Prof. Debo Adeyewa, who is also the chairman of the association, told his colleagues that the onus is on them to produce graduates that can compete with their contemporaries anywhere in the world.

    He said: “We, therefore, need to encourage ourselves by stating the fact that the Nigerian education system is not beyond redemption. We only need a purposeful leadership, absolute commitment from key stakeholders and a sense of urgency to turn around the education sector.

    “We are glad that the current leadership of the NUC is resolutely committed to this. His style of leadership and ongoing restructuring through the NUC is heartwarming and points to a better future for the country.

    “While the society is quick to point out areas of weaknesses in our tertiary education system, we need to salute the courage, tenacity and doggedness of our able vice chancellors in moving the system forward in spite of the myriads of challenges confronting the ivory towers.”

  • NUC tasks VC’s on female sexual harassment

    The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission ( NUC ), Prof. Rasheed Adamu Abubakar, has tasked Vice Chancellors on sexual harassment of female students in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

    He said lecturers accused and found to sexually students must be made to face the music.

    The NUC boss spoke at the 33rd Conference of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities with the theme “Revitalization of University Education in Nigeria” held at the Redeemer’s University in Ede, Osun State.

    According to him: “We must ensure that the image of our universities being dented by some few unscrupulous perpetrators of sexual harassment is protected. If this trend is allowed to continue unchecked, the future of education is bleak in Nigeria. The nation’s universities should be seen as producing graduates that can not compete favourably with their colleagues anywhere in the world.”

    Speaking further at the 4-day conference, Abubakar advised the Vice Chancellors not to restrict their research and academic collaborations to international universities but to collaborate internally with their co-universities in Nigeria and ensure that their products can complete internationally.

    Abubakar, who expressed optimism that Nigerian graduates can compete anywhere in the world, however, lamented that some international institutions find it hard to employ Nigerian doctors, engineers and other professionals.

    Read Also: Why private universities have low students enrollment – NUC

    Welcoming participants, the host and Vice-Chancellor of the Redeemer University Ede, Prof. Debo Adeyewa, who is also the current Chairman of the association, reminded his colleagues that the onus is on them to produce graduates that can compete with their contemporaries anywhere in the world.

    He said: “We therefore need to encourage ourselves by stating the fact that, the Nigerian education system is not beyond redemption. We only need a purposeful leadership, absolute commitment from all key stakeholders and a sense of urgency to turn around the education sector.

    “We are glad that the current leadership of the NUC is resolutely committed to this. His style of leadership and ongoing restructuring through the NUC is heartwarming and points to a better future for the country.

    “While the society is quick to point areas of weaknesses in our tertiary education system, we need to salute the courage, tenacity and doggedness of our able Vice Chancellors in moving the system forward in spite of the myriads of challenges confronting the ivory towers.”

  • VC: Plateau varsity to access N500m from TETfund

    Prof. Yohanna Izam, the Vice Chancellor of Plateau State University (PLASU), Bokkos, says the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has approved   N500 million as an intervention fund for the institution.

    Izam disclosed this on Friday when the Plateau State House of Assembly Committee on Public Accounts and Petition led by its Chairman, Hon. Peter Gyendeng, paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

    “Already modalities for accessing the fund are being vigorously pursued in view of felt needs of the university for urgent infrastructural expansion to improve its carrying capacity.

    “This is an impressive development for us in PLASU considering the fact that our monthly allocations   from both the state and local governments are inadequate in meeting the needs of the university, ’’ he said.

    He appealed to the lawmakers and the state government to increase the university’s allocations to enable it copes with its increasing demands, particularly in the payment of staff salaries.

    Izam said that the funds provided by Federal Ministry of Education and the state government tremendously assisted the university in running 17 accredited programmes.

    According to him, another 15 courses would be re-visited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in May for full accreditation.

    The vice chancellor commended the state government, TETFund and the NEEDS Assessment funded by the Federal Ministry of Education for their interventions, attributing the growth of the university to their assistance.

    On admission and employment, Izam said the management of the university was mindful of its status as a state-owned institution.

    He said “efforts must be made to strike a balance in subsequent employment and admissions so that all the 17 local governments in the state have fair representation.’’

    The vice chancellor appealed to the lawmakers to mobilise their constituents through awareness visits to take advantage of the university education the institution is providing to ensure that each local government area fills its quota.

    Gyendeng, on his part, commended the management of the University for being up to date in auditing the university’s account.

    He said the committee members were on a fact finding mission to all the state-owned tertiary institutions to ascertain whether their accounts had been audited.

    NAN