The National Universities Commission (NUC) says the successful implementation of the Blueprint ICT Development project, currently being piloted in 10 universities, will serve as the foundation for extending it to other institutions across the Nigerian University System (NUS).
Executive Secretary of the NUC and Chairman of the Project Implementation Committee (PIC), Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, disclosed this on Monday during the committee’s inaugural meeting. He said the goal of the project, which is supported by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), is to ensure its benefits and transformative impact are felt across the entire system, strengthening Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development and advancing the collective capacity of Nigerian universities.
Ribadu said it is the committee’s responsibility to ensure the project is implemented with transparency, accountability, professionalism, and strict adherence to approved standards, timelines, and budget. “We will remain committed to monitoring project progress, engaging with relevant stakeholders and ensuring that every resource allocated to this project delivers maximum value,” he said.
He described the meeting as a significant milestone in the collective commitment to harnessing ICT as a catalyst for sustainable development, innovation, economic growth, and improved service delivery — all of which he called a necessity for national and institutional development.
“May I reiterate that this project is not simply about installing computers or networking equipment, but a deliberate effort aimed at repositioning the NUS for excellence and global competitiveness, creating opportunities, improving education and public services, promoting innovation, and preparing our graduates to adapt in a fast-changing world,” Ribadu said. “Its success will depend not only on this committee but also on the collaboration of all critical stakeholders, including the NUC, participating universities, development partners, contractors, and consultants, among others.”
Also speaking, Director of Special Projects at the NUC and Project Coordinator, Dr Joshua Atah, said that despite early procedural delays, significant progress has been made and he expects the pace to pick up going forward.
In his presentation, Project Management Officer Engr Afolabi Ogunnusi gave a progress report covering activities from the project’s inception in October 2025 to July 2026, including an overview of the Blueprint’s history and ICT-development vision, components of the pilot project, its Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) transformation strategy, governance and institutional framework, timelines and milestones, achievements, challenges, and next steps.
Taking turns, the committee members expressed appreciation to the AFD and the NUC for all the progress made so far and the plans explained in the report.
The primary objective of the Blueprint’s ICT Development Project is to drive the deployment of harmonised, well-coordinated technology platforms for collaborative teaching, learning, and research, under four broad categories:
• Provision of high-capacity inter- and intra-institutional network, collaboration, and communication resources, alongside other ICT infrastructure;
• Deployment and management of state-of-the-art ICT services relevant to transforming the Nigerian higher education system;
• Integration of ICT into the day-to-day activities of higher education institutions (HEIs) for learning, administration, research, and related services; and
• Technical and managerial human capacity development, to ensure that all solutions, services, and infrastructure deployed meet international standards, and that institutional managers have the knowledge needed to oversee them.
The 10 beneficiary universities in the pilot phase are:
• University of Ibadan
• University of Maiduguri
• Modibbo Adama University
• University of Nigeria, Nsukka
• Bayero University, Kano
• Federal University of Technology, Minna
• University of Jos
• University of Calabar
• Obafemi Awolowo University
• Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
The NUC, while confident of achieving an overwhelming success in the project, indicated that lessons and outcomes from this pilot phase will guide any decision to roll the project out more broadly across the Nigerian University System.
