AKU: An African Journal of Contemporary Research

This study examined the disjunction between curriculum reform and graduate employability in Nigeria through a qualitative audit of the National Universities Commission's (NUC) Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) for Education Economics, introduced in 2022 to replace the Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS). Although the CCMAS was designed to align university education with 21st-century market realities, its functional impact on self-employment readiness remains underexplored. Drawing on documentary analysis and the CareerEDGE employability framework, this study conceptualizes a “utility gap,” the functional disparity between curricular intent and graduates' economic agency. Analysis revealed a pattern of “theoretical saturation,” in which abstract economic models overshadow practical tools such as data analytics software. This condition is compounded by “technological decoupling,” as institutional infrastructures consistently lag stated digital aspirations, and by a “future-blind” neglect of green economy competencies. The study concludes that the transition from BMAS to CCMAS is largely semantic rather than functional. Without the deliberate cultivation of entrepreneurial agency, curriculum reform risks becoming a symbolic academic exercise rather than a viable economic intervention. The study recommends the integration of discipline-specific entrepreneurship education, mandatory technical skills training, and industry-linked incubation systems to bridge the gap between academic certification and economic action.

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