The training programme was to ensure effective delivery of the new curriculum – the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) developed by the commission for Nigerian universities.

The coordinator of a segment of the exercise, Prof Emeritus Peter Okebukola, said the objective of the training “is to strengthen the knowledge and skills of all university staff in the effective implementation of the CCMAS.”

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja at the end of the four-month training exercise which ended on Thursday, Professor Okebukola said the overall training was coordinated by Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, former Minister of Education and a member of the NUC Strategy Advisory Committee.

According to him, “The four-month training had two components – the first was the training of the Directors of Academic Planning and three staff of each university nominated by the Vice-Chancellor.

“This phase of the programme which lasted for three weeks, had an onsite and an online component, and was coordinated by Professor Yakubu Azare of Bayero University, Kano.”

He said the second phase of the programme was on “Practical Skills for Delivering the CCMAS in an Online Environment.”

That, he said, involved Directors of ICT and two staff of each university, nominated by the VC.

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Okebukola said that phase lasted three months and was conducted at the NUC-NOUN Virtual Institute for Capacity Building in Higher Education (VICBHE).”

In a press release after the graduation ceremony of the second phase of the training, Okebukola stated that the overall coordinator of the training project, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, was delighted at the success of the two phases of the training.

According to him, she extolled the commitment of the seven nominees of the Vice Chancellors of each university to the demands of the training.

On his part, Okebukola who is the immediate past Chairman, Governing Council of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN,  lauded the impressive efforts of Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, the immediate past Executive Secretary of NUC, in the rapid revitalization of the Nigerian university system and the support received for the implementation of the agenda from the former Honourable Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu.

In his goodwill message, the acting Executive Secretary of NUC, Christopher Maiyaki, commended the participants and pledged to continue with vigour, the implementation of the revitalisation agenda set by Professor Rasheed.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Olufemi Peters, felt delighted that NOUN fully sponsored the training as part of its corporate social responsibility to the Nigerian university system and urged the participants to join hands to ensure the successful implementation of the CCMAS.

The convocation lecture was delivered by Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, and former VC of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, in which he stressed the importance of blending onsite and online modes in effective delivery of the CCMAS.

The three-month intensive training, according to Okebukola involved 10 hands-on practicals on how to deliver the CCMAS in an online environment; two discussion forum sessions; a special seminar session; end-of-course comprehensive examination; and a project.

At the graduation ceremony, Distinction Plus certificates (for having an overall score of 90% and above of the total score of 1130) were awarded to 90 participants.

A total of 92 earned Distinction grade; 57 Credit; 40 Merit and 27 pass were awarded.

Additionally, 290 participants received the Basic Proficiency in Moodle certificate.

Goodwill messages were received from the chairperson of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors, Professor Lilian Salami, and the Secretary-General of the Association of African Universities, Professor Olusola Oyewole.

Professor Oyewole whose AAU serves as the voice of higher education in Africa, commended NUC and noted that the Nigerian model of curriculum development “is being encouraged for adoption by other African countries.”

Prizes were awarded to Dr. Umar Mohammed of Federal University, Kashere (best overall participant from the federal university sub-system); Dr. Abdulmalik Ahmad Lawan of Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Kano (best overall participant-State university sub-system); and Dr. Christopher Onova of Achievers University, Owo (best overall participant-private university sub-system);

Others were Omotayo Onaiyekan (best overall participant from NUC); Professor Rosemary Obasi of Benson Idahosa University (most-committed VICBHE participant- female); Professor Abayomi Arigbabu (most-committed VICBHE participant- male); and Dr. Komommo Iwarra of Havilla University (best overall participant).

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Executive Secretary of the Global University Network for Innovation, GUNi, Africa, Professor Juma Shabani; the Secretary General of the Association of African Universities, AAU, Professor 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.

Professor 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.

At the post-launch sensitisation workshop held for Vice-Chancellors, Professor Oyewole who delivered the keynote address was excited about what he labelled as “the future-fit curricula” and described NUC’s efforts as “building the future today”.

According to him “the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, has become the instrument for restoring the originality in the Nigerian university system. He is returning to the Nigerian university system confidence and trust.”

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 January 23 and 26, were unanimous in applauding the giant strides of Nigeria and eager to receive updates on the full implementation of the new curriculum.

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja on return from the Washington conference, the chairman of the NUC Strategy Advisory Committee, STRADVCOM, Professor Peter Okebukola attributed the trajectory to the far-sightedness of Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed who he said 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 Okebukola, “The curriculum re-engineering process under Professor 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. The product of the review which underwent further validation was unveiled on December 5, 2022 by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, represented by the Secretary to Government, Mr. Boss Mustapha.?

Okebukola who is a former Executive Secretary of NUC stressed that some, out of ignorance, believed that NUC had no business with facilitating curriculum development and minimum standards setting for universities, and failing 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 empowered the National Universities Commission, NUC, to set minimum academic standards for Nigerian universities.

Okebukola who has observed similar quality assurance-related exercises across the world, singled out Professor Rasheed’s model as one of the best in Africa as it embeds two follow-up activities in the package.

According to him, “One is the intensive training/capacity building of implementers of the CCMAS, a project that is to be coordinated by Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i (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 Professor 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: (1) Comparable in content to similar curricula in the best university systems in the world and relevant to Nigeria’s socio-cultural context; (2) Addresses the knowledge and skills gaps in the curriculum it is replacing; (3) While providing 70% of core curriculum as minimum for all Nigerian universities, it allows universities to customise and bespoke the curriculum by adding 30% 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; (5) in line with contemporary global practice, change of nomenclature from Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) to Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS); (6) in consonance with emerging development globally, the curriculum is to stimulate blended learning in its delivery; (7) strategically configured to produce future-fit graduates; (8) provides essential foundations for lifelong learning; (9) nurtures deep thinkers and problem solvers and graduates who are highly skilled in their professions and disciplines; and (10) encourages interdependencies of disciplines,” he stated.

Okebukola concluded that from his personal assessment, the NUC CCMAS was 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 wished to fill.

He said it was a living document which would keep adding more “cells”.

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