From here we start: towards resuscitation of Arabic/Islamic bridged programme in the departments of Arabic and Islamic studies in southern Nigerian universities

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.