The Federal Government has launched the Blueprint ICT Development (Blueprint-ICT-Dev) Project, a €38 million initiative aimed at driving digital transformation in 10 of its universities across the country.
The Blueprint ICT Development (Blueprint-ICT-Dev) Project is an initiative funded by the French Development Agency (AFD). It aims to strengthen institutional ICT infrastructure, enable hybrid and cross-border learning, improve education data systems for evidence-based policymaking, promote technical and vocational education through digital tools, and expand digital education in underserved communities.
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.
The unveiling of the project, held at the National Universities Commission (NUC) yesterday in Abuja, was presided over by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and witnessed by key stakeholders, including the French Ambassador to Nigeria, representatives of the French AFD, vice-chancellors, and development partners.
The origin of the project dates back to 2018, when the NUC developed a revitalisation blueprint for Nigeria’s university system, identifying ICT as the linchpin of meaningful reform. Out of 26 federal universities established before 2011, 10 were selected through a competitive process that included proposal assessments and site visits.
Speaking during the event, Alausa said the project underscored a renewed national commitment to human capital development, digital transformation, and inclusive education.
The minister said the latest intervention targets higher education with a specific focus on building smart campuses, promoting hybrid learning, improving research infrastructure, and embedding digital systems across universities.
He said: “This project is a strategic investment in the future of Nigerian education. It’s about building smart campuses, empowering smart people, and nurturing smart ideas.”
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Alausa said the project aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and would serve as a model for innovation and international cooperation.
The minister explained that the initiative was designed to help universities digitise administrative systems, develop hybrid and cross-border academic programmes, and strengthen transnational education linkages.
“Blueprint-ICT-Dev is not just a technological upgrade. It is a strategic investment in the future of Nigerian education, supporting the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he added.
These institutions, according to the minister, are expected to serve as Centres of Excellence in ICT integration and education innovation, especially in teacher training, digital skills, online learning, and research management.
According to him, the project will also support digital libraries, enhance research management systems, and integrate all participating institutions into the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN).
He added the initiative would promote teacher training, improve education data systems, and integrate Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) across university curricula to support skills-based learning.
NUC’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, said the commission was exploring additional funding avenues to expand the initiative to more universities.
Ribadu said the project signalled the Nigerian University System’s readiness to embrace digital transformation as a driver of academic excellence.