Abuja: The Federal Government has unveiled a forty million-dollar ICT project aimed at digitising and transforming tertiary education in Nigeria. 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.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, highlighted that the project underscores a renewed national commitment to human capital development, digital transformation, and inclusive education. Dr Alausa described the project as a strategic investment in the future of Nigerian education, focusing on building smart campuses, empowering smart people, and nurturing smart ideas. He noted that the project aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and would serve as a model for innovation and international cooperation.
Dr Alausa explained that the initiative aims to help universities digitise administrative systems, develop hybrid and cross-border academic programmes, and strengthen transnational education linkages. He further stated that the project would support digital libraries, enhance research management systems, and integrate all participating institutions into the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN). The initiative is also designed to promote teacher training, improve education data systems, and integrate Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) across university curricula to support skills-based learning.
The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, emphasized that the project signals the Nigerian University System’s readiness to embrace digital transformation as a driver of academic excellence. Prof. Ribadu mentioned that the project evolved from the NUC’s 2018 blueprint for revitalising Nigerian universities and would be implemented across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. He noted that the blueprint identified challenges in governance, financing, and employability, recognising ICT as an important tool for reform.
Prof. Ribadu stressed that the success of the project would not only be measured by infrastructure but by the lives transformed. He added that the project would expand university reach into underserved communities through open and distance learning, digital literacy outreach, and teacher empowerment initiatives. 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.
Dr Joshua Atah, Coordinator of Special Projects at the NUC, described the project as a landmark investment to catalyse the digital transformation of the Nigerian University System (NUS). He explained that Component One of the project has a $38 million allocation to support ICT development in the 10 selected universities, which includes renovating digital infrastructure, improving connectivity, training academic staff in modern teaching methods, and providing digital resources for students. Component Two allocates $2 million for the creation of a National STEM Transformation Strategy, involving committee formation, labour market research, awareness campaigns, and pilot programmes to improve STEM education quality.
The event was attended by the French Ambassador to Nigeria, the AFD Country Director, and other dignitaries. 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. Others are Bayero University Kano, Modibbo Adama University Yola, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, and the University of Jos.