By Mahdi Waziri Isa
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved 13 new academic programmes for Nigerian universities with a view to modernizing the university curriculum and aligning higher education with global demands.
The approval was communicated through a circular signed by the Executive Secretary, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, and sent to all vice-chancellors. The new programmes will be integrated into the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS).
The newly introduced disciplines include Artificial Intelligence, Intelligence and Security Studies, Geomatics Engineering, Islamic Economics and Finance, Nuclear Engineering, and Water Sanitation and Hygiene. Other additions are Classical Christian Education, Human Kinetics (Sport Management), Community Health Science, Parasitology and Entomology, Telecommunication Science, Cooperative Economics and Management, and Nuclear Science.
According to the commission, the 70% national curriculum for these programmes was developed by experts from the Nigerian university system in March 2025. Individual universities are now tasked with developing the remaining 30% institutional component as stipulated by the CCMAS framework.
The NUC has directed universities wishing to offer any of the new programmes to prepare for implementation in the 2025/2026 academic session, pending a successful resource assessment visit. Vice-chancellors were also instructed to circulate the approved CCMAS documents to all relevant faculties, departments, and academic planning units.