The Federal Government on Tuesday unveiled a forty million-dollar ICT project aimed at digitising and transforming tertiary education in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
Known as the Blueprint ICT Development (Blueprint-ICT-Dev) Project, the initiative is funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and will be implemented across 10 federal universities.<\/p>\n
Speaking during the unveiling in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the project underscored a renewed national commitment to human capital development, digital transformation, and inclusive education.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis project is a strategic investment in the future of Nigerian education. It\u2019s about building smart campuses, empowering smart people, and nurturing smart ideas,\u201d Alausa said.<\/p>\n
He added that the project aligns with President Bola Tinubu\u2019s Renewed Hope Agenda and would serve as a model for innovation and international cooperation.<\/p>\n
Alausa explained that the initiative was designed to help universities digitise administrative systems, develop hybrid and cross-border academic programmes, and strengthen transnational education linkages.<\/p>\n
According to him, the project would also support digital libraries, enhance research management systems, and integrate all participating institutions into the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN).<\/p>\n
He said the initiative would promote teacher training, improve education data systems, and integrate Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) across university curricula to support skills-based learning.<\/p>\n
The Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, said the project signalled the Nigerian University System\u2019s readiness to embrace digital transformation as a driver of academic excellence.<\/p>\n
Ribadu stated that the project, which evolved from the NUC\u2019s 2018 blueprint for revitalising Nigerian universities, would be implemented across Nigeria\u2019s six geopolitical zones.<\/p>\n
He noted that the blueprint identified challenges in governance, financing, and employability, and recognised ICT an important tool for reform.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith this privilege comes responsibility. Success will be measured not just by infrastructure but by the lives transformed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He added that the project would expand university reach into underserved communities through open and distance learning, digital literacy outreach, and teacher empowerment initiatives.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not just about infrastructure or platforms. It is about reimagining the role of ICT in higher education,\u201d Ribadu said.<\/p>\n
He urged universities, both within and outside the pilot phase, to begin automating key processes, including student and staff data management, academic records, and governance systems.<\/p>\n
Also speaking, Dr Joshua Atah, Coordinator of Special Projects at the NUC, outlined the project as a landmark investment to catalyse the digital transformation of the Nigerian University System (NUS).<\/p>\n
He explained that Component One of the project has a $38 million allocation to support ICT development in the 10 selected universities.<\/p>\n
This includes renovating digital infrastructure, improving connectivity, training academic staff in modern teaching methods, and providing digital resources for students.<\/p>\n
Component Two, he said, is allocated $2 million for the creation of a National STEM Transformation Strategy.<\/p>\n
This will include the formation of a committee, labour market research, awareness campaigns, and pilot programmes to improve STEM education quality.<\/p>\n
NAN reports that the event was attended by the French Ambassador to Nigeria, the AFD Country Director, and other dignitaries.<\/p>\n
The 10 beneficiary universities include the University of Calabar, University of Nigeria Nsukka, University of Ibadan, Federal University of Technology Minna, and University of Maiduguri.<\/p>\n
Others are Bayero University Kano, Modibbo Adama University Yola, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, and the University of Jos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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