An announcement was made by the National Universities Commission (NUC) regarding the commencement of the implementation of the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) in September 2023. This document is projected to assist universities with designing their curricula while ensuring an innovation of their methods of teaching for the achievement of Nigeria total goals of education. A Stakeholders’ Colloquium on CCMAS was held in Abuja. At the meeting, the Acting Executive Secretary of NUC, Chris Maiyaki, said that Nigerian universities will be among Africa’s best through the document.
He stated that while 70 percent of the curriculum would consist of the CCMAS, the 30 percent remainder would be determined by the university. In his statement, he noted that the development and significance of the CCMAS is to ascertain that Nigerian universities have commitment to the advancement of education and the country. The NUC has a key duty to ensure global and quality competitiveness of universities in the country and the graduates that are produced in the country.
With this document, graduates will be equipped with knowledge.
The CCMAS was developed through a meticulous process that had the involvement of experts from the nation’s universities, they include regulatory bodies, professors, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), and other stakeholders. The document embodies a global initiative that will aid the equipment of graduates with knowledge and hence, aid the advancement of the country development. Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, was in attendance at the colloquium.
Prof. Mamman urged universities to make excellent use of university senate’s 30 percent input. He encouraged higher institutions to ensure acquisition of skills, learning outcomes and soft skills, regardless of the core discipline. He added that these skills should be practicable to the university’s environment, the country, and the global community, as a whole. Now is considered the best time for the development of a strategy to guide higher institutions in their mandate to ensure provision of appropriate manpower for Nigeria.
Universities Senates have 30 percent of the total curriculum.
Building appropriate manpower requires the usage of a curriculum and application of minimum standards that would assure that students are taught in a way that they would become highly skilled and employable enough to contribute their quota to national development efforts. Out of the total curriculum, 70 percent is embedded in the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), and universities Senates have allotted 30 percent to develop according to the distinctiveness of their various institutions.
Through this principle, there is a good adaptation that is suitable for local peculiarities of the tertiary institutions and enables provision of opportunities for universities to build themselves in aspects of comparative advantage. Also, the minister commended institutions that had finished working on their allocated 30 percent and submitted for review. He likewise assured the commitment of the Federal Government to make sure that the education system of Nigeria does not cease to be relevant across the nation and globally competitive.
To adopt 21st century realities, the CCMAS expanded BMAS to 17 disciplines.
Expansion of BMAS from 12 to 17 disciplines was also done by the CCMAS to change the position of the system towards the 21st century’s realities. These 17 disciplines include Administration and Management, Allied Health Sciences, Arts, Communication and Media Studies, Agriculture, Basic Medical Sciences, Architecture, Computing and Education. Others also include Engineering and Technology, Law, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Social Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Medicine and Dentistry, Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine. In 2018, the development of the CCMAS came after the review of Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS).
Related Link
NUC-CCMAS: Website
