The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved 13 new degree programmes for Nigerian universities as part of its efforts to strengthen academic relevance and align higher education with global trends.

The commission announced the addition of the programmes to the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) in a circular addressed to all vice-chancellors.

The circular was released by the NUC spokesperson and signed by the Executive Secretary, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu.

According to the commission, experts drawn from the Nigerian university system participated in the development of the 70 per cent national component of the new programmes in March 2025.

Universities are expected to develop the remaining 30 percent institutional component in line with CCMAS provisions.

The newly approved programmes include Artificial Intelligence, Classical Christian Education, Human Kinetics with a focus on sport management, Geomatics Engineering, Community Health Science, Intelligence and Security Studies, Islamic Economics and Finance, Parasitology and Entomology, Telecommunication Science, Water Sanitation and Hygiene, Cooperative Economics and Management, Nuclear Science, and Nuclear Engineering.

The commission urged universities wishing to offer any of the new programmes to begin implementation in the 2025/2026 academic session, following a successful resource assessment visit.

Vice-Chancellors were also directed to circulate the approved CCMAS documents to relevant faculties, departments, and academic planning units. (Daily Trust)