NUC approves 18 courses for official take-off of FUAHSE

In alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for advancing education and healthcare, the National Universities Commission (NUC) has commenced the verification process for 18 approved degree programs at the newly established Federal University of Allied Health Sciences, Enugu (FUAHSE). This initiative marks an important step toward the university’s launch in the 2024/2025 academic year.

President Tinubu approved the transition of the former Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy into the Federal University of Allied Health Sciences, Enugu, on March 15, 2024. The upgrade aims to enhance human resource development in the health and social welfare sectors, preparing skilled professionals to meet critical industry needs.

In its inaugural Senate session, FUAHSE approved 22 programs within five allied health faculties. The NUC has since identified 18 of these programs for initial verification to ensure readiness for the upcoming academic session.

Prior to the verification exercise, NUC Academic Planner and verification team lead, Jude Akubue, announced that the Acting Executive Secretary of the NUC, Ambassador Chris J. Maiyaki, officially approved the evaluation of the 18 selected programs to facilitate the university’s take-off.

“We are glad to be here because today is historic for the university and for us; it’s an epoch out for us because after this visit, you will know whether you have the nod to run the programmes as a university.

“Therefore, we congratulate you for this transition and to President Bola Tinubu for approving the university,” he said.

He disclosed that the team comprised resource persons carefully selected from different parts of the country such as from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, and Babcock University, among others, where experts in different academic fields such as in basic and allied Sciences where drawn.

“We are going to use Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard (CCMAS) documents as our benchmark and that will be the basis for the assessment.

“Since last year, the CCMAS was introduced and the implementation started from 2023/2024 academic session, so when you get approval for these programmes, it’s the CCMAS that you are going to use as a minimum of 70 percent content and the remaining percent you are going to use to suit your own uniqueness as a university,” Akubue said.

Welcoming the team, the Acting Vice Chancellor of FUAHS, Prof John Emaimo expressed appreciation to President Tinubu who approved the transition of the former college into a full-fledged university and first Health Science University in Nigeria.

He noted that the NUC took its time to choose the verification team to help nurture the university, which he said was yet in a paper until the academic activities begin to take place in the university.

“The team is well chosen to deliver on their assignment and this is just the beginning.

“The university is starting today by virtue of this verification. We are adding another feather for universities in Nigeria to mould more minds into the society.

“We are confident that the team will put us in the right direction to get the university accreditation.

“What we are doing is for humanity, trying to intervene on the current need issues in Nigeria, to make sure that we have a place for the young people in the society.

“We, the staff, are ready to help you in whatever you want to verify so that at the end of the day, you will give us a better way to go and we take it up from there,” Emaimo said.