Abstract:
The twin discipline of Arabic and Islamic Studies, as academic disciplines in some Southern
Nigerian western stereo-typed universities have been witch-hunted with various obstacles. Out of
these obstacles, the major one is shortfall admission and low enrolment of the students
qualifying for the duo programmes which later led to the introduction of Arabic/Islamic-bridged
programme to rescue the situation. This paper aims at looking at the origin of the twin
discipline of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Southern Nigeria and its in-road to western stereotyped universities in 1960s. It also aims at show-casing the intervention of Arabic/Islamicbridged programmes, its purpose, its advantages and how it served as timely intervention and
rescue between 1960s and 1980s. It is discovered that this Arabic/Islamic-bridged programme
had served as an effective linkage of students from the private purely Arabic schools (Madāris)
to the western stereo-typed schools with obvious fruitful results in the duo disciplines in the
Departments of Arabic and Islamic studies in Southern Nigerian western stereo-typed
universities. The findings show that Southern Nigerian western stereo-typed universities would
continue having the problems of shortfall in admission and low enrolment of the students
qualifying for the duo programmes if they fail to resuscitate the Arabic/Islamic-bridged
programme. The study recommends that this Arabic/Islamic-bridged programme should be reintroduced into the affected universities so as to sustain the duo disciplines from extinction in the
western stereo-typed institutions in the Southern Nigeria. It also recommends that each of these
private purely Arabic schools in the Southern Nigeria should harmonise their syllabus with that
of National Board of Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) and Joint Examination of Board of
Arabic and Islamic Studies (JEBAIS) which are the presently recognized examination bodies for
this programme. It further recommends that Federal Ministry of Education should give its moral
and financial supports by taking up the academic and financial challenges of some of these
private purely Arabic schools, if not all, as it is in operation in the Northern Nigeria so as to
enhance their academic output to meet the demand of the western stereo-typed universities in the
whole country.
