The Influence of the Bologna Process on Nigerian University Curriculum Reform

This study examines the influence of the European Bologna Process on curriculum reform debates and internationalisation strategies in Nigerian federal universities, with case studies drawn from the University of Nigeria Nsukka (South-East) and Bayero University Kano (North-West). The Bologna Process, which standardised European higher education through a three-cycle degree framework and credit transfer systems, has been increasingly referenced by African higher education policymakers as a model for continental harmonisation. This descriptive study draws on secondary literature in comparative higher education published between 2019 and 2024, including publications from the Association of African Universities (AAU), Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) policy documents, and institutional internationalisation strategy reports from the two case study universities. Interviews with senior academic staff, curriculum committees, and international liaison officers provide primary qualitative data. The study explores how elements of the Bologna framework, including credit accumulation and transfer systems, learning outcomes-based curricula, and quality assurance processes, have been selectively adopted or adapted in Nigerian university contexts. The research also considers whether Bologna-inspired reforms have improved the international recognition of Nigerian degrees in European academic hiring and further study admissions. Keywords: Bologna Process, Nigerian universities, curriculum reform, higher education internationalisation, NUC.