‘Reviewed varsity curricula awaiting FEC’s approval’

‘Curriculum change should begin at secondary school’

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has said that it has successfully reviewed the curricula of the nation’s universities and they are now awaiting the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

NUC Director of Academic Planning, Dr. Gidado Bello Kumo, said this Tuesday while representing his principal, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, at the workshop and Annual General Meeting of the Committee of Directors of Academic Planning of Nigerian Universities (CODAPNU), which held at the University of Abuja.

According to him, the NUC believes that the Nigerian university system is one of the most sophisticated with curricula that reflect global trends.

He said this is the reason Nigerian students perform excellently well in all sectors in the universities that they attend abroad.

“We made sure the curricula is globally competitive, and is one of the best across the world. We have a new executive secretary, though he is yet to be briefed by the department. Once he takes brief, he will take the document to the minister for submission to the FEC,” Kumo said.

He advised universities to work for continued curriculum review in order to match new advances in knowledge.

Keynote speaker at the event and Vice Chancellor of University of Abuja, Prof. Michael Adikwu, maintained that there was the need for universities to continue to review their curricula to meet global standards.

Also important, according to him, is investment in research, which can “lead to economic turnaround for the university system as well as for the nation.

The culture of research that is being gradually lost in Nigerian institutions can be regained through the introduction of the post-doctoral system. Many Nigerians go for study that involves research nowadays because they have no job.

“Today we are in a digital world where results are quicker and much more accurate. Currently, the life span of knowledge is below two years. We must follow this trend in curriculum development, knowledge generation and development on all fronts if we must follow closely, the universal development in knowledge that is critical for the local environment,” Adikwu said.