The National Universities Commission (NUC) has received the first tranche of €3 million from a $40 million loan secured from the French Development Agency, aimed at supporting Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) projects in 10 selected Nigerian universities.
Announcing this at the inaugural meeting of the 13th NUC Board in Abuja, Executive Secretary Abdullahi Ribadu highlighted the commission’s ongoing initiatives in research, entrepreneurship, digital transformation, and skills development.
“We have strengthened internal financial management, expanded access to university education through licensing new private universities, and approved new programmes and units,” Ribadu said. He noted that the deposit of the first tranche in the Central Bank of Nigeria account marks the official kick-off of the ICT Blueprint Project.
The 13th NUC Board, chaired by Emeritus Professor Oluremi Aina, outlined five guiding pillars for its tenure: performance evaluation, improved university rankings, digital literacy, research, and institutional reforms. Aina emphasized the importance of leveraging technology, exploring new funding channels, dismantling obstacles to university quality, and investing in the welfare and capacity of NUC staff.
The Blueprint-ICT-Dev Project, backed by a total €38 million credit facility from the French Development Agency earlier this year, aims to upgrade digital infrastructure, strengthen ICT capabilities, and promote digital literacy in Nigerian universities. The initiative aligns with the federal government’s goal of transforming higher education and positioning Nigerian universities for global competitiveness.
With digital transformation at the forefront, the NUC and the new board are poised to drive significant reforms in Nigeria’s tertiary education system, improving both national and international rankings of universities across the country.