National Universities Commission Trains Staff of 206 Nigerian Universities

The National Universities Commission (NUC), has concluded its series of train-the-trainers’ workshop for staff of two hundred and six Nigerian universities.

The training programme was to ensure effective delivery of the new curriculum- the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) developed by the Commission for Nigerian universities.

The coordinator of a segment of the exercise, Prof Emeritus Peter Okebukola, said that the objective of the training “is to strengthen the knowledge and skills of all university staff in the effective implementation of the CCMAS.”

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja at the end of the four-month training exercise, Professor Okebukola said that the overall training was coordinated by Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, former Minister of Education and a member of the NUC Strategy Advisory Committee.

“The four-month training had two components – the first was the training of the Directors of Academic Planning and three staff of each university nominated by the Vice-Chancellor. 

 “This phase of the programme which lasted for three weeks, had an onsite and an online component, and was coordinated by Professor Yakubu Azare of Bayero University, Kano,” Prof Okebukola said.

He said that the second phase of the programme was on “Practical Skills for Delivering the CCMAS in an Online Environment,” which involved Directors of ICT and two staff of each university, nominated by the Vice Chancellor.

Prof Okebukola said that the phase lasted for three months and was conducted at the NUC-NOUN Virtual Institute for Capacity Building in Higher Education (VICBHE).

Prof Okebukola stated that the overall coordinator of the training project, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, was delighted at the success of the two phases of the training.

According to him, she extolled the commitment of the seven nominees of the Vice Chancellors of each university to the demands of the training.

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On his part, Okebukola, who is the immediate past Chairman, Governing Council of the National Open University of Nigeria, (NOUN), lauded the impressive efforts of Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, the immediate- past Executive Secretary of NUC, in the rapid revitalization of the Nigerian university system and the support received for the implementation of this agenda from the former Honourable Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu.

In his goodwill message, the acting Executive Secretary of NUC, Christopher Maiyaki, commended the participants and pledged to continue with vigor, the implementation of the revitalisation agenda set by Professor Rasheed.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Olufemi Peters, felt delighted that NOUN fully sponsored the training as part of its corporate social responsibility to the Nigerian university system and urged the participants to join hands to ensure the successful implementation of the CCMAS.

The convocation lecture was delivered by Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, Honourable Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology of Ogun State and former VC of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun in which he stressed the importance of blending onsite and online modes in effective delivery of the CCMAS.

The intensive training, according to Okebukola involved 10 hands-on practicals on how to deliver the CCMAS in an online environment; two discussion forum sessions; a special seminar session; end-of-course comprehensive examination; and a project.

At the graduation ceremony, Distinction Plus certificates (for having an overall score of 90% and above of the total score of 1130) were awarded to 90 participants.

A total of 92 earned Distinction grade; 57 Credit; 40 Merit and 27 pass were awarded.

Additionally, 290 participants received the Basic Proficiency in Moodle certificate.