Experts have lauded the efforts of the National Universities Commission (NUC) at curriculum re-engineering with the development and launch of the new Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS).
Speaking to newsmen in Abuja, the Chairman of the NUC Strategy Advisory Committee (STRADVCOM), Prof. Peter Okebukola, attributed the trajectory to the far-sightedness of the NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed.
Okebukola said that Rasheed had fired a revolution in the Nigerian university system guided by the Blueprint on Rapid Revitalisation of University Education in Nigeria (2019-2023).
According to him, the curriculum re-engineering process under Rasheed is not just a quick fix which began few months ago as wrongly portrayed by some.
“It is a six-step process which began with a sensitisation lecture about five years ago. This was followed by survey of the gaps in the existing curricula of Nigerian universities.
“The input from the findings formed the basis of a revised edition of the curricula by teams of national and international experts in the disciplines, and private sector players led by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG).
“The next step was input from departments and faculties in the Nigerian university system funnelled to NUC through the Senate of the Universities.
“Now came the very rigorous step of review which took the better part of 16 months.
“The review teams were carefully selected from among the best scholars in their disciplines, members of professional bodies and academies,” he said.
Okebukola said that the product of the review which underwent further validation was unveiled on Dec. 5, 2022 by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, represented by the Secretary to Government, Mr Boss Mustapha.
He stressed that some, out of ignorance, believed that NUC had no business with facilitating curriculum development and minimum standards setting for universities.
According to him, they fail to note that such power was pursuant to the provisions of Education (National Minimum Standard and Establishment of Institutions) Act No. E3 L.F.N. 2004, and National Universities Commission Act No. N81 Laws of Federation Nigeria (L.F.N.) 2011, which empower the commission to set minimum academic standards for Nigerian universities.
Okebukola, who has observed similar quality assurance-related exercises across the world, singled out Rasheed’s model as one of the best in Africa as it embedded two follow-up activities in the package.
“One is the intensive training/capacity building of implementers of the CCMAS, a project that is to be coordinated by Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai (former Minister of Education and member of STRADVCOM).
“The other is the development of textual materials to support the implementation. This project is coordinated by Emeritus Prof. Nimi Briggs (Chairman, Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Federal Universities and member of STRADVCOM).
“Ten highlights of the 2022 CCMAS which replaces the 15-year old and long-overdue-for-change Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) are: Comparable in content to similar curricula in the best university systems in the world and relevant to Nigeria’s socio-cultural context.
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“ Others are to addresses the knowledge and skills gaps in the curriculum it is replacing while providing 70 per cent of core curriculum as minimum for all Nigerian universities.
“ It allows universities to customise and bespoke the curriculum by adding 30 per cent of courses to reflect their uniqueness of mission and contextual peculiarities.
“It also places accent on entrepreneurship, practical rather than theoretical knowledge and skills and the development of 21st century skills,” he added.
Okebukola said it also offered contemporary global practice, change of nomenclature from Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) to Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS).
“ In consonance with emerging development globally, the curriculum is to stimulate blended learning in its delivery, strategically configured to produce future-fit graduates and provides essential foundations for lifelong learning.
“It nurtures deep thinkers and problem solvers and graduates who are highly skilled in their professions and disciplines; and also encourages interdependencies of disciplines,” he stated.
Okebukola said that the NUC CCMAS was, however, configured not as a business-as-usual document, saying it had provided allowance of 30 per cent for universities to innovate and take care of any gap Senate of each university wishes to fill.
The Executive Secretary, Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi) Africa, Prof. Juma Shabani; the Secretary General, Association of African Universities (AAU), Prof. Olusola Oyewole and scholars at a global quality assurance conference held in Washington DC, said that CCMAS would enhance quality teaching and learning in Nigerian Universities.
Shabani, a former head of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Bamako Cluster Office, who had participated in similar exercises, referred to the process as “revolutionary” and worth emulating by other African countries in the quest to attain the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Scholars who got a preview of the CCMAS at the 2023 global conference of the Washington-based Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) International Quality Group (CIQG) held between Jan. 23 and Jan. 26, were unanimous in applauding the giant strides of Nigeria.
They were also eager to receive updates on the full implementation of the new curriculum.
