NUC Approves Three AI-Integrated Postgraduate Programmes for American Open University.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved three postgraduate programmes for American Open University Nigeria (A-Global), clearing the way for the institution to admit its first cohort of master's degree students in the 2026/2027 academic session. The approval came via a letter dated June 19, 2026, from the NUC Executive Secretary's office, signed by the Commission's Director of Academic Planning, Abubakar M. Girei. According to the university, the decision followed a resource verification exercise in which an NUC panel assessed its staffing and facilities before recommending the programmes for approval. The three approved full-time programmes are the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Information Technology (MIT), and Master of Public Administration (MPA). Founder and President of American Open University, Prof. David S. Akanbi, described the approval as validation of the institution's academic standards. "This approval is the outcome of a rigorous, independent examination of what we have built — our faculty, our facilities, our systems, and our academic governance. We are grateful to the Commission for its thoroughness and for the confidence this approval represents," he said. Akanbi said all three programmes have been built with artificial intelligence woven throughout their curricula rather than treated as an add-on, arguing that AI is fundamentally changing how organisations operate and compete. Each programme includes three specialisation tracks: the MBA covers Technology Entrepreneurship, Human Capital Development, and Strategic Educational Design; the MIT spans AI Engineering and Deployment, Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics, and Intelligent Learning Systems; while the MPA offers Digital Governance and Security, Public Health Policy and System Governance, and Strategic Public Sector Leadership. The university said the programmes are structured around its EDGE Framework — Educate, Develop, Grow and Empower — and will be delivered via a HyFlex model, giving students the option to study entirely online, entirely on campus, or through a mix of both. Akanbi expressed confidence that graduates would be well positioned to lead AI-driven change across business, technology and public institutions, describing the programmes as designed to compete with similar offerings globally. The university has opened applications for the 2026/2027 academic session, with details on admission requirements available through the Office of the Registrar and on its website. American Open University Nigeria, known as A-Global, is a private university licensed by the NUC, with its global campus based in Ibadan, Oyo State. The institution says its focus is on expanding access to career-oriented higher education through industry-aligned programmes. Source: Original report by Segun Showunmi (summarized and rewritten).