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JUST IN: ASUU rejects Core-Curriculum designed by NUC
The Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards prepared by the National Universities Commission has been rejected by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, saying that the curriculum was nightmarish, a threat to quality university education, and an erosion of powers of the university Senate in Nigerian universities.
A statement signed by the national president of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, on Friday, explained that it was inexplicable that NUC pre-packaged 70 per cent CCMAS contents were being imposed on the Nigerian University System, adding that university Senates, who are statutorily responsible for academic programme development, were left to work on only 30 per cent.
It stressed that there were growing concerns about the numerous shortcomings and gross inadequacies of the CCMAS documents.
“ASUU is not unaware that setting academic standards and assuring quality in the NUS is within the remit of the NUC. Section 10(1) of the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, Cap E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, enjoins the NUC to lay down the minimum standards for all universities and other degree awarding institutions in the Federation and conduct the accreditation of their degrees and other academic awards.
“However, the process of generating the standard is as important (if not more important) than what is produced as “minimum standards”.
“In this instance, the NUC has recently, through some hazy procedures, churned out CCMAS documents containing 70% curricular contents in 17 academic fields with little or no input from the universities. The academic disciplines covered are (i) Administration and Management, (ii) Agriculture, (iii) Allied Health Sciences, (iv) Architecture, (v) Arts, (vi) Basic Medical Sciences, (vii) Computing, (viii) Communication and Media Studies, (ix) Education, (x) Engineering and Technology, (xi) Environmental Sciences, (xii) Law, (xiii) Medicine and Dentistry, (xiv) Pharmaceutical Science, (xv) Sciences, (xvi) Social Sciences, and (xvii) Veterinary Medicine,” it read partly.
It stressed that many university administrators, though dissatisfied, were shying away from making public comments on CCMAS.
The statement revealed that, however, some university Senates did not hide their displeasure with the ongoing efforts to impose CCMAS on Nigerian universities by the NUC.
It read, “The CCMAS is a nightmarish model of curriculum reengineering. It is an aberration to the Nigerian University System. The CCMAS documents are flawed both in process and in content. There is no basis for the 70% “untouchable CCMAS,” which cannot stand the test of critical scrutiny of university Senates.”
However, it suggested that “NUC should encourage universities, as currently being done by the University of Ibadan, to propose innovations for the review of their programmes. Proposals from across universities should then be sieved and synthesised by more competent expert teams to review the existing BMAS documents and/or create new ones as appropriate.
“The difference here is the bottom-up approach, unlike the top-bottom or take-it-or-leave-it model of the CCMAS.”
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PAACA Thumbs Up Protest over Senate’s Rejection of Electronic Transmission of Election Results
PACCA emphasised that the conversation should go beyond the election transmission of results to cover collation and more in depth involvement of political parties .
• Peter Obi address the protesters in front of the National Assembly
The Executive Director of the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), Ezenwa Nwagwu, has described the protest around the transmission of election results in real-time as a step in the right direction.
Nwagwu made the declaration during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday.
“The current agitation that we have seen around the electoral act amendment is positive.
Positive in the sense that we have continued to ask for more and more citizen oversight over governance, over the activities of those who govern us,” he said.
PACCA emphasised that the conversation should go beyond the election transmission of results to cover collation and more in depth involvement of political parties
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has voiced strong concern over the Senate’s recent stance on the transmission of election results in the ongoing Electoral Act amendment process, warning that it is eroding public trust ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a press statement, the NGE described the Senate’s decision to retain non-mandatory provisions—similar to those in the 2022 Electoral Act—as a step backward that fosters doubt and mistrust in Nigeria’s electoral system.
The group highlighted widespread public outrage, noting that the position contradicts the demands of most Nigerians and many lawmakers for compulsory, real-time electronic transmission from polling units to INEC’s central server and collation centres.
The NGE emphasized that mandatory and immediate transmission has become a global standard for enhancing transparency, efficiency, accuracy, and voter confidence while reducing fraud and disputes.
At a time when other democracies are advancing digital reforms, Nigeria risks missing a key opportunity to strengthen electoral integrity and democratic governance, the statement said.
With the National Assembly set to harmonize positions between the Senate and House of Representatives tomorrow (February 10, 2026), the Guild called on lawmakers to approve mandatory real-time transmission in the final bill.
Anything less, it warned, would be out of step with progressive electoral practices and could further discourage voter participation while undermining confidence that votes will count.
The statement comes amid broader backlash following the Senate’s February 4 passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026, which rejected proposals for compulsory e-transmission, prompting criticism from civil society, opposition parties, labour unions, and other stakeholders.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the Nigerian Senate’s suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, ruling that the upper chamber acted within its constitutional powers.
In a judgment delivered on Monday, February 9, 2026, the appellate court affirmed the Senate’s authority to discipline its members, including through suspension.
However, the court set aside related contempt proceedings and vacated a ₦5 million fine previously imposed on the senator over a satirical apology she issued.
The decision partially resolves a protracted legal dispute stemming from the Senate’s six-month suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan in early 2025, following allegations of misconduct during plenary sessions.
The ruling comes amid ongoing appeals, with aspects of the case potentially headed to the Supreme Court as both sides have challenged lower court decisions.
In a separate development, President Bola Tinubu held a closed-door meeting last night (Sunday, February 8, 2026) with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The late-night talks, confirmed by presidency sources and reported across multiple outlets, focused on efforts to resolve the lingering political crisis in Rivers State.
The meeting is seen as a fresh intervention by the president to foster reconciliation between the governor and his predecessor, amid tensions that have disrupted governance in the oil-rich state.
Details of the discussions remain limited, but sources indicate Governor Fubara later accompanied Wike to his residence in Guzape, Abuja, signaling possible progress toward de-escalation.
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