The National Universities Commission (NUC) has taken a bold step to transform Nigeria’s higher education landscape by approving 13 new degree programmes designed to align with global standards and equip graduates with 21st-century skills.

Announced on Thursday, the initiative reflects a strategic push to enhance the country’s competitiveness in science, technology, and sustainable development.

The newly approved programmes, integrated into the NUC’s Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) policy, include cutting-edge fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Science, Geomatics Engineering, and Telecommunication Science.

Also on the list are Community Health Science, Water Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), Intelligence & Security Studies, Human Kinetics (Sport Management), Islamic Economics & Finance, Parasitology & Entomology, Cooperative Economics & Management, and Christian Education.

These courses are set to commence once universities successfully pass resource verification assessments, ensuring adequate infrastructure and faculty expertise.

The approval comes amid a broader effort to update Nigeria’s academic offerings, following the Ministry of Education’s recent overhaul of primary and secondary curricula.

The NUC’s move builds on its mandate to regulate and elevate the quality of university education across the country’s 283 institutions, which include federal, state, and private universities.

The new programmes are expected to strengthen Nigeria’s position in emerging industries, particularly in artificial intelligence and nuclear technology, areas increasingly vital in the global energy and tech sectors.

However, implementation hinges on universities meeting stringent resource verification criteria, a process that assesses facilities, teaching staff, and research capabilities.