By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has announced the approval of thirteen new degree programmes for universities across Nigeria.
The move is part of an ongoing effort to modernize the country’s higher education curriculum and align it with global trends.
In an official memo signed by the Executive Secretary, Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, the Commission directed all Vice-Chancellors to circulate the newly approved Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) documents.
The new programmes reflect a focus on emerging technologies, security, and specialized fields.
The list includes cutting-edge courses such as B.Sc. Artificial Intelligence, B.Sc. Intelligence and Security Studies, and B.Eng. Nuclear Engineering. Also approved were programmes in Geomatics Engineering, Telecommunications Science, and Water Sanitation and Hygiene.
According to the NUC, the programmes were developed with input from experts within the Nigerian University System in March 2025.
The approval is intended to “strengthen quality assurance mechanisms and enhance academic relevance.”
Universities interested in offering these new degrees must develop their own 30% institutional component to complement the NUC’s 70% core curriculum.
The NUC stated that implementation can begin in the 2025-2028 academic session, pending a successful Resource Assessment Visit to the applying institutions.