By Godfrey AKON
Universities across Nigeria are set to commence implementation of the new Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards, CCMAS, which was launched on December 5, 2022 by Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja, at the Stakeholders’ Colloquium on the CCMAS, with the theme “The State of the CCMAS, Sensitisation and Implementation.”
Mamman noted that there is no better place and time than now to develop a strategy that will guide tertiary institutions, particularly universities, in their mandate to provide appropriate manpower for the country.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr David Andrew Adejo, the minister said the colloquium is coming on the heels of over 4 years of extensive efforts put towards the development of the CCMAS in collaboration with a myriad of stakeholders within and outside the academia.
He commended the decision of the National Universities Commission, NUC, to allow the CCMAS to capture only 70 per cent of the total curriculum while 30 is ceded to university senates to build in the uniqueness of their various universities.
“This principle allows for a good deal of adaptation that suits not only local peculiarities of the universities but most importantly provides all universities opportunities to carve a niche for themselves in areas of comparative advantage.
“What such advantage confers on universities that make optimal use of the 30% university senate’s input is to ensure that learning outcomes and the skills as well as soft skills to be acquired, irrespective of the core discipline would be readily applicable to the environment of the university, the country in particular and the global community in general.
“At this point, I wish to thank all the universities who have so far concluded their work on the 30% component and submitted same for review. I urge those who have not, to please endeavour to do so in the shortest possible time as the next academic session rolls in,” he said.
Mamman noted that convening the colloquium was necessary as the country works towards resumption of academic activities in September, 2023, adding that the commitment stakeholders show in implementing the CCMAS would determine to what extent their labour of the past years would contribute to value-addition to scholarship.
The minister urged all stakeholders to dialogue openly and constructively, stressing that their insights, experiences, and perspectives are invaluable and will ensure that they emerge from the gathering with a conviction that what they have done reflects the aspirations of the society and the potentials of students.
He expressed Federal Government’s commitment to continue to strive towards ensuring that the educational system remains nationally relevant and globally competitive.
Earlier, the Acting Executive Secretary of NUC, Mr. Chris Maiyaki, noted the presence of the stakeholders at the event underscored their sustained interest and commitment to the advancement of education and the future the nation.
Maiyaki noted that as the apex regulatory body for university education in Nigeria, the NUC is firmly dedicated towards ensuring the quality, integrity, and global competitiveness of Nigerian Universities as well as the graduates that they produce.
“Our deliberations, today, will be centred on the evolutionary journey of the curriculum of Nigerian Universities, as piloted by the NUC – from the advent of the Minimum Academic Standards (MAS) in 1989, the Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) in 2007, to the current Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS).
“Since the start of the process of the CCMAS in 2018, we have traversed a path marked by dedication, innovation and inclusivity in the pursuit of excellence,” he said.
According to him, “The reviewed Curriculum is endowed with unique features tailored to meet the evolving demands of the rapidly changing world.
“It emphasises interdisciplinary learning, soft and critical skills development, entrepreneurship and value creation. Thus, the CCMAS reflects a global perspective that would equip our graduates with the 21st Century knowledge and wherewithal that transcend traditional boundaries.
Maiyaki reiterated the mandate of NUC to guide the nation’s universities, adding that the commission stands as a beacon of hope for the entire university system.
According to him, the 30 per cent input expected from universities into the new curriculum deployment process, is not a mere formality, but a vital mechanism that fosters synergy and also accommodates, promotes the peculiar needs of each institution.
He noted that the percentage was derived from a thoughtful consideration of the transformational impact of the curriculum on the future graduates of our universities.