NUC Approves AI, Cyber Security, Three Other Undergraduate Programmes for ESUT

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the establishment of five new full-time undergraduate programmes at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), effective from the 2026/2027 academic session.

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The approval followed a resource verification exercise conducted by a panel of experts that assess the adequacy of the university’s human and material resources for the proposed programmes.

In a letter signed by the Director of Academic Planning, Abubakar M. Girei, on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the NUC, the Commission approved the introduction of Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree programmes in Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Intelligence and Security Studies, Data Science, and Software Engineering.

The Commission, however, clarified that the approval is limited to the full-time mode of study and does not extend to part-time delivery at this stage.

It added that the university must notify the Commission and obtain the requisite approval before introducing part-time or postgraduate components of any of the newly approved undergraduate programmes.

The NUC further urged ESUT to continue providing adequate human and material resources to ensure the effective implementation, development, and sustainability of the programmes.

The approval comes at a time Governor Peter Mbah’s administration has consistently committed more than 33 per cent of Enugu State’s annual budget to education, with a strong emphasis on science, technology, innovation, and digital skills development to prepare young people for the demands of the future workforce.

Governor Mbah had earlier disclosed that his administration was redesigning the state’s education system to equip learners, from the primary school level to the university, with the capacity to develop technology-driven innovations, create globally competitive solutions, and participate effectively in the digital economy through curricula anchored on the Smart Green Schools initiative.

As part of realising the vision, the governor recently sponsored a high-level academic delegation led by the Vice Chancellor of ESUT, Prof. Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, to Doha, Qatar, to understudy global best practices in artificial intelligence, applied learning, and innovation ecosystems, with a view to adapting and implementing the models at the university.