NUC pushes universities toward entrepreneurship, innovation

Nigeria's National Universities Commission (NUC) is urging universities to embrace entrepreneurship and innovation to better serve society. Professor Abdullahi Ribadu, the Executive Secretary, emphasized the need for stronger ties between universities, industry, government, and international partners.

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This conference comes at an important time for university education, both internationally and within Nigeria. Across the world, universities are increasingly being called upon to move beyond their traditional roles of teaching and research and become centres of creativity, enterprise, and societal transformation.

Speaking at a conference in Abuja, Ribadu highlighted that universities worldwide, including in Nigeria, are increasingly expected to contribute beyond teaching and research. He stated that the NUC is committed to transforming the university system to prepare graduates for a dynamic global landscape.

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The National Universities Commission recognises that the future of higher education depends on its ability to prepare graduates for a rapidly changing world.

The NUC's reforms, such as the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), focus on competency-based and learner-centered education. This framework aims to equip students with not only disciplinary knowledge but also entrepreneurial skills, digital competencies, critical thinking, and adaptability crucial for the modern workplace.

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The CCMAS framework seeks to equip students not only with disciplinary knowledge, but also with entrepreneurial skills, digital competencies, critical thinking, and the adaptability required in today’s workplace.

Ribadu stressed that the success of universities will increasingly be measured by their ability to translate ideas into innovation and enterprise, leading to societal impact. He called for robust partnerships across sectors and international collaboration to build effective innovation ecosystems, noting the significance of collaboration with German universities.

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Increasingly, the success of modern universities will not be measured only by the quality of teaching and research. It will also be measured by their ability to convert ideas into innovation, innovation into enterprise, and research into societal impact.