By Admin Category July 3 2025 Comments (05)

BLUEPRINT ICT-DEV: ES, NUC URGES UNIVERSITIES TO LEVERAGE NgREN INFRASTRUCTURE

The Federal Government of Nigeria has urged all universities in Nigeria especially those selected for the Blueprint-ICT-Dev Project to leverage on the infrastructure of the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN) in other to achieve the objective of strengthening its digital infrastructure and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capacity.

Speaking at the formal launch of the Blueprint-ICT-Dev Project Tuesday in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of the NUC, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu described the NgREN as central to the objectives of the project given the tremendous benefits they will derive from collective participation on the network.

According to Prof Ribadu, the tools and services offered on NgREN are indispensable if our universities are to compete globally and collaborate meaningfully. Describing them as the bedrock of quality assurance, academic integrity, and impactful research.

“I also urge all Vice-Chancellors to view the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN) as more than just a broadband network, but rather as the digital lifeline of our academic community. I encourage you all to embrace it as a platform for providing access to shared, cross-cutting resources that are essential for a modern university,” he added.

NgREN is a high-speed network infrastructure designed to support research and education in Nigeria, identity federation, e-content, and network security services to support online teaching and learning. It provides a world-class research and education network in Africa, facilitating efficient network infrastructure, services, and applications. Initially covering about 27 federal universities, the NUC, and the Secretariat of the Council of Vice-Chancellors (CVC) in Abuja. It has since expanded to connect several institutions, including about 23 World Bank-supported Centres of Excellence in the Nigerian University System.

Speaking earlier at the launch, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa explained that from digital libraries to research management systems, the Blueprint-ICT-Dev Project will enable the institutions to compete globally in research, innovation, and development. “It will also promote interdisciplinary collaboration, facilitate knowledge sharing, and position our universities as drivers of a knowledge economy.”

The Minister described the project as not just a technological upgrade, but a strategic investment in the future of Nigerian education. “It is about building smart campuses, empowering smart people, and nurturing smart ideas. It is about restoring hope, in line with the vision of Mr. President, to a sector that holds the key to national renewal.”

In his remark, the AFD Country Director, Mr. Xavier Muron revealed that the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), see digital transformation not as a passing trend, but as a pillar for building future-ready and resilient societies.

He explained that the Blueprint Project is so important, as it aligns with the agency’s long-standing commitment to achieve the specific objectives of: strengthening higher education systems, as seen in its support to initiatives like ACE Impact project targeting African Centres of Excellence, and aiming at enhancing academic quality and research capacity across West Africa. It also seeks to foster digital skills among youth, building on programmes such as IDICE (Investing in Digital and Creative Enterprises), where it equips young Nigerians with practical digital and entrepreneurial tools for a better employability. And driving institutional reform and innovation, through governance strengthening and integrated capacity-building.

“With this project, we are enabling selected Nigerian universities to develop ICT-driven solutions that serve not only academic needs, but broader socio-economic goals,” he added.

The Blueprint-ICT-Dev Project is a flagship intervention within the broader framework of the Blueprint for the Rapid Revitalisation of the Nigerian University System (the Blueprint Project), developed in 2018 by the National Universities Commission (NUC). The Blueprint identified 15 strategic components critical to repositioning the university system. Among these, ICT was rightly recognised as the fulcrum upon which the other components must rest.

In recognition of this, and in a bid to address systemic challenges through digital transformation, the NUC, with the support of the Federal Government, sought international development assistance. The French Development Agency (AFD) responded with a $40 million credit facility targeted specifically at the ICT component of the Blueprint Project.