By Happiness Yakubu
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has revealed that the implementation of the new Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) will commence by September 2023 in line with the Federal government’s efforts to reposition and revitalize Nigerian universities.
This was disclosed by the acting Executive Secretary of NUC, Mr Chris Maiyaki, while speaking at the Stakeholders’ Colloquium on CCMAS in Abuja.
He explained that the document would reposition Nigerian universities to be among the best rated in Africa.
According to him, CCMAS was designed to guide institutions on development 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.
Maiyaki said that CCMAS would make up 70 per cent of the curriculum while the university decides what to include in the remaining 30 per cent.
He noted the reviewed curriculum is endowed with unique features tailored to meet the evolving demands of the rapidly changing world, adding that it emphasises interdisciplinary learning, soft and critical skills development, entrepreneurship and value creation.
“Thus, the CCMAS reflects a global perspective that would equip our graduates with the 21st Century knowledge and wherewithal that transcend traditional boundaries,” he said.
”The role and development of the CCMAS is to ensure commitment in advancing our education and great nation.NUC is primarily dedicated to ensuring quality and global competitiveness of Nigerian universities as well as the graduates we produce.
” The development of the CCMAS went through a painstaking process by bringing experts from our universities comprising of professors, regulatory bodies, 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,” he said.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, in his remark, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration is unwaveringly committed to the continuous repositioning and revitalisation of the entire education sector for a quickened socio-economic development of Nigeria.
He urged universities to make optimal use of the 30 per cent university senate’s input, stressing that tertiary institutions in the country must strengthen their quality mechanism to ensure that graduates who are produced are highly skilled and employable to contribute to national development efforts.
Mamman advised universities to ensure that learning outcomes, skills as well and soft skills were acquired, irrespective of the core discipline.
He said that the skills must be readily applicable to the environment of the university, the country in particular and the global community in general.
”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 through using a curriculum and applying minimum standards that would guarantee we teach our students in such a way and manner that they would be highly skilled and employable to contribute to national development efforts.
” 70 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,” he said.
The minister commended universities who had concluded their work on the 30 per cent component and submitted same for review.