NUC launches $40m ICT revitalisation project in 10 Nigerian varsities
By Uji A Iliyasu, Abuja
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has officially launched the Blueprint ICT Development (Blueprint-ICT-Dev) Project, marking a major milestone in Nigeria’s drive towards the digital transformation of its university system.
Speaking at the formal launch held at the NUC headquarters in Abuja, Executive Secretary, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, expressed confidence that the project will catalyse technological advancement and institutional efficiency across Nigeria’s higher education landscape.
The Blueprint-ICT-Dev Project, funded through a $40 million grant from the French Development Agency (AFD), will be implemented in 10 selected federal universities, cutting across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. The initiative is a critical component of the broader reform strategy first articulated by the NUC in 2018 through its revitalisation blueprint for Nigerian universities.
Professor Ribadu noted that the original blueprint identified key challenges affecting quality, governance, financing, employability, and relevance within the system. Crucially, it positioned Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as the central pillar of any meaningful reform.
The era of COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the vulnerabilities in the system, as institutions struggled to maintain operations, making the need for robust digital infrastructure more urgent.
“The Blueprint-ICT-Dev Project is not just about equipment or software,” Ribadu said. “It is about empowering universities to move from outdated systems to intelligent, integrated digital ecosystems. It is about innovation, resilience, and sustainable growth.”
The project aims to strengthen ICT infrastructure, support technology-enhanced teaching and research, and promote digital innovation within Nigerian universities. Ribadu stated that it aligns with Nigeria’s broader digital economy agenda and envisions a future where technology serves as the “nervous system” of higher education institutions.
He urged all universities, not just those selected for the first phase, to begin digitising their processes—ranging from student records and academic results to administrative workflows and transcript issuance. He also emphasised the critical role of the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN), describing it as “the digital lifeline of the academic community.”
Ribadu shared that the selection of the ten universities was the result of a competitive and merit-based process. A committee reviewed proposals from 26 federal universities established before 2011.
Originally, the plan was to select six to eight universities, but due to the high quality of submissions, 10 were ultimately chosen to ensure a broader impact.
The selected institutions are:
University of Calabar (South-South);
University of Nigeria, Nsukka (South-East); University of Ibadan (South-West); Federal University of Technology, Minna (North-Central); University of Maiduguri (North-East); Bayero University, Kano (North-West); Modibbo Adama University, Yola (North-East);
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (South-West); Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (South-East); and
University of Jos (North-Central).
“This is only the beginning,” Ribadu affirmed. “Our goal is to expand this initiative to more universities—federal, state, and private—so that no institution is left behind in the digital era.”
The Executive Secretary thanked the AFD for their continued support and called on all stakeholders to embrace the digital transformation journey as a shared responsibility. He concluded by inviting the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, to formally present the notification of selection to the Vice-Chancellors of the ten beneficiary universities.
The launch signals a hopeful turn in the digital trajectory of Nigeria’s university system and lays a foundation for inclusive, technology-driven higher education.