The National Universities Commission (NUC) says it has upgraded some medical-related programmes in Nigerian universities from bachelor’s degrees to doctoral status.

This is disclosed in a statement signed by the commission’s Acting Director of Public Affairs, Mrs Franca Chukwuonwo, and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.

Chukwuonwo said the decision was driven by the need to incorporate more clinical and practical sessions, improve foundational course coverage, enhance clinical skills, and address all speciality areas comprehensively.

She noted that the upgrade aligned with global best practices for training professionals in these fields.

“This quest to upgrade the status of some medical-related programmes from bachelor’s degree to doctorate was borne out of the desire to incorporate more clinical/practical sessions.

“It is to provide sufficient coverage of foundation courses, improve clinical skills, and cover all speciality areas.

“The trend seeks to also align with global best practices applicable in the training of professionals in these medical-related programmes.

“Furthermore, the certificates obtained from the Nigerian University System (NUS) can be on par with those obtained in similar programmes from other climes,” she said.

She added that it would also ensure the requisite harmonisation, mutuality, and global competitiveness of Nigerian graduates in terms of certificate evaluation, employability, and further studies in the relevant disciplines.

She listed the programmes upgraded as: Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D), Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT), and Doctor of Optometry.

She added that the duration of the programmes was increased from five to six years to accommodate the additional courses and clinicals incorporated into the curriculum.

“The general public and all stakeholders are hereby informed that the Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science (DMLS) programme does not exist in the NUC’s BMAS or CCMAS.

“And thus has not been captured as upgraded programmes. Consequently, the DMLS programme is not approved in any university in the country,” she said. (NAN)