NUC Says Reforms Underway to Reposition Nigerian University System
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has announced strategic reforms aimed at transforming the Nigerian university system to improve quality, relevance, and global competitiveness. The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Professor Abdullahi Ribadu, made the comments on Saturday during the 10th Convocation ceremony of Gregory University in Uturu, Abia State.
According to Prof. Ribadu, the NUC is advancing a comprehensive overhaul of university curricula through a newly introduced framework called Core Curriculum and Minimum Non-Academic Standards (CCNAS). This initiative is designed to ensure that graduates acquire 21st-century employability skills and that academic programmes align more closely with global best practices.
Under the updated system, universities must allocate 70 per cent of course content to mandatory core standards set by the commission, with the remaining 30 per cent left to individual institutions to tailor according to their unique strengths and goals.
Prof. Ribadu also highlighted recent changes to transnational education guidelines, which now allow partnerships with foreign universities through various competitive models such as branch campuses, franchising, open and distance learning, and joint programmes. This move is aimed at expanding access to quality education and attracting international collaborations within the Nigerian university system.
The NUC chief said the reforms are part of the Commission’s broader effort to modernise higher education in the country and boost its global competitiveness. He stressed that the strengthened curriculum and expanded opportunities for foreign participation would help position Nigerian universities at par with international standards.
The convocation ceremony, which brought together academics, students, and education stakeholders, provided a platform for discussing the role of universities in producing graduates capable of addressing national challenges.