The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has launched the Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE) Alliance, an umbrella body uniting all 20 ACEs established in Nigeria.
The ACE Alliance is a strategic platform for synergy, shared learning, and collaboration and is expected to further consolidate the gains of the ACE Project, enhance visibility, and amplify the voices of Nigerian Centres on the global stage.
Launching the project on Monday in Abuja, Alausa noted that the ACE Project, funded by the World Bank and the French Development Agency, in collaboration with the Federal Government, has strengthened Nigeria’s position as a leader in higher education in Africa.
He added that the project has fostered excellence in research, teaching, and innovation and has helped shape the skilled workforce and knowledge base Nigeria needs to compete in a dynamic global economy.
The Minister commended the NUC for its exemplary coordination of the ACE Project and praised the leadership of Prof. Abdulhahi Ribadu and past Executive Secretaries of NUC.
The Minister urged stakeholders to commit to building on the achievements of the ACE Project and to shape a future that is stronger, bolder, and better.
“Recognising the immense impact of the ACE Project on the Nigerian University System (NUS) and on Nigeria as a whole, I did not hesitate when NUC recently requested approval to approach key development partners, such as the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), to mobilise additional support for the Blueprint for the Rapid Revitalisation of University Education in Nigeria.
“The Federal Ministry of Education has lent its full backing to this effort, underscoring the government’s determination to leverage the lessons and successes of the ACEs to strengthen and transform higher education through diversified partnerships and sustained investment,” he said.
Also speaking to the Executive Secretary of NUC, Ribadu noted that the ACE Project has empowered 17 Nigerian universities hosting 20 Centres of Excellence to deliver high-quality postgraduate training, cutting-edge research, and solution-oriented partnerships in areas such as health, agriculture, education, engineering, ICT, and the environment.
He added that the project has resulted in over 2,000 peer-reviewed publications by Nigerian ACE researchers and has attracted regional students and faculty from across Africa, promoting integration and cross-border collaboration.
He disclosed that the NUC has commenced discussions with the World Bank regarding the next phase of the initiative, the ACE Innovate Project, with a proposed funding of $150m.
Also speaking, the National Project Coordinator of the ACE Project, Dr Joshua Atah, stated that the project has achieved significant milestones since its launch in 2014.
He stated that the project has attracted over $145m through performance-based disbursements and mobilised additional funding exceeding ₦3.9bn, $46m, €1.78m, and £2.6m from diverse sources.
“Collectively, these Centres have attracted over $145m through performance-based disbursements and mobilised additional funding exceeding ₦3.9bn, $46m, €1.78m, and £2.6m from diverse sources (these funds have been reinvested into research, infrastructure, and capacity building),” he said.
He added that the project has also enrolled over 45,000 students in degree and short-term professional programmes, produced over 6,600 graduates, including 1,596 PhDs, and published over 4,200 peer-reviewed scientific papers in reputable journals.
Atah stated that the project has established over 625 partnerships with national and international industries, research organisations, and institutions.
The launch of the ACE Alliance was accompanied by the unveiling of a four-volume compendium, Key Achievements and Impacts of the Africa Centres of Excellence Project in Nigeria.
The compendium captured the transformative impact of the ACEs in research, training, and innovation, and showcases the breadth and depth of their scholarly output.
