NUC Secures €3M Loan to Launch ICT Projects in Varsities
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has received €3 million as the first installment of a $40 million loan secured from the French Development Agency to fund Information and Communication Technology (ICT) projects in 10 selected Nigerian universities.
NUC Executive Secretary, Abdullahi Ribadu, announced this during the inaugural meeting of the 13th NUC Board on Wednesday at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. He noted that since assuming office a year ago, the commission has prioritized initiatives in research, entrepreneurship, digital transformation, and skills development across Nigerian universities.
“We have secured a $40 million loan from the French Development Agency for the ICT Blueprint Project in 10 universities. Just yesterday, the first tranche of €3 million was confirmed deposited into our CBN account to kick-start the process,” Ribadu stated.
He highlighted other achievements, including strengthening internal financial management, licensing new private universities, approving new programmes and units, supporting the establishment of publicly funded universities, expanding open and distance learning centres, and continuing system-wide quality assurance exercises. He noted that the 2025 Accreditation Exercise is currently ongoing.
Ribadu assured the board of the management’s full cooperation, emphasizing that their collective expertise would help strengthen NUC’s capacity to guide Nigeria’s university system. He also encouraged the board to leverage their networks to advance projects and partnerships beneficial to the commission and the broader higher education landscape.
Chairman of the 13th NUC Board, Emeritus Professor Oluremi Aina, expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his consistent support of the university sector. He said the board assumes its mandate amid rising global standards and expectations for higher education.
Aina outlined five pillars to guide the board’s work:
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Evaluation of NUC Performance – Reviewing the NUC Act, its amendments, vision, mission, principles, ethics, operational challenges, and achievements, while comparing performance against global standards.
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Alignment with the National Hope Agenda – Supporting the administration’s education-focused initiatives, including addressing union agitations, enhancing digital literacy, and strategically integrating AI to elevate universities nationally and internationally.
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Identifying and Removing Obstacles to Quality – Tackling governance issues, funding constraints, and research stagnation to ensure progress rather than managing decline.
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Reviewing Funding Channels – Exploring alternative and sustainable funding sources to supplement ingenuity, strengthen resource utilization, and identify emerging opportunities.
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Investing in NUC Staff and Infrastructure – Enhancing staff welfare and capacity, and ensuring credible accreditation and regulatory independence.
Aina emphasized leveraging technology to streamline operations and adopt digital platforms for efficiency, stating that the board carries the aspirations of the Nigerian people.
Earlier in the year, the French Development Agency provided a €38 million credit facility to NUC to support the digital transformation of 10 federal universities. Known as the Blueprint-ICT-Dev Project, this initiative aims to upgrade digital infrastructure, enhance ICT capabilities, and promote digital literacy across the selected institutions.
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