The National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted approval to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) to commence the full-time Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) degree programme.

The approval was communicated in a letter dated February 26, 2026, and signed on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Professor Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, following a successful resource verification exercise carried out at the university.

According to the Commission, the programme will begin in the 2025/2026 academic session and will be offered strictly on a full-time basis at the university’s main campus.

The NUC clarified that the approval does not extend to part-time studies, noting that the university must formally notify the Commission if it intends to introduce a part-time option for the programme in the future.

The approval followed an assessment by a panel of experts who evaluated the human and material resources available for the programme and confirmed that the facilities and personnel were adequate for its commencement.

The Commission also directed that the programme must operate strictly under the approved title and nomenclature, stressing that any proposed changes would require prior approval from the NUC.

Furthermore, the university has been advised to sustain the provision of sufficient human and material resources to ensure the continuous growth and development of the programme.

In a statement issued by the Public Relations Unit of COOU, the university described the approval as a major milestone in its efforts to broaden academic programmes and strengthen professional training in the health sciences.

The statement added that the achievement reflects the institution’s commitment to maintaining national academic standards and global best practices under the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kate Azuka Omenugha.