The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved additional academic programmes for the American University of Nigeria (AUN), the institution has said.

In a statement on Thursday, the university spokesperson, Daniel Okereke, said the approvals were conveyed in a letter to the President of the university and signed by Abubakar Girei on 26 July.

The programmes, which include Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Public Health, Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.)- Civil Engineering, according to Mr Okereke, are in the Engineering faculty and the newly established School of Basic Medical Sciences.

“The new programs will begin in the fall 2023 session, which opens in August,” he said. President of the American University of Nigeria, DeWayne Frazier, described the latest approvals as a confirmation of the NUC’s trust in the quality of teaching and learning facilities of the institution.

“These new public health and civil engineering programs aim to improve the quality of life for the people of the region and educate the next generation of healthcare professionals and engineers to impact the country,” he said.

He said the Public Health programme is housed in the new School of Basic Medical Sciences.

He said: “It is supported by an up-to-date infrastructure, operated by both expatriate and home faculty members,” he said, noting that the plan was to introduce allied programmes such as Nursing Sciences by the beginning of the Spring Semester in January and by Fall next year introduce Laboratory Technology, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, and Biotechnology.