Nigerian higher education institutions have recorded a significant milestone in global digital trust identity infrastructure with the admission of the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN) into the Education Global Authentication Infrastructure (eduGAIN).
This was announced by the NgREN on Tuesday, following the signing of the declaration of membership by its Managing Director, Dr Joshua Atah.
The eduGAIN Inter-federation service connects Identity Federations around the world, simplifying access to content, services and resources for the global research and education community. eduGAIN comprises participation of over 100 countries from around the world and more than 10,000 Identity and Service Providers.
In a statement by Dr Atah, he indicated that this achievement will greatly benefit Nigerian institutions through enhanced collaboration opportunities, secure access to international scholarly resources, and improved trust frameworks for digital services with the global academic community. He added that this positions Nigeria’s higher education firmly on the global stage, enabling institutions to access a wide range of international resources and services.
The approval, according to the statement, followed a rigorous assessment and voting process conducted by the eduGAIN Assembly.
eduGAIN, which operates under the auspices of GÉANT, connects identity federations worldwide, enabling secure, trusted, and seamless access to online research and education services across borders. Membership allows Nigerian universities and research institutions federated under NgREN to participate fully in the global inter-federation ecosystem.
According to Dr Atah, NgREN expresses its sincere appreciation to the eduGAIN Chair, Steering Committee, and Assembly Members for their diligence in assessing and approving the federation’s application.
He said, “As Nigeria’s National Research and Education Network, NgREN remains committed to strengthening digital trust identity, enabling secure federated access, and supporting innovation across the higher education and research ecosystem.”
NgREN is Nigeria’s national research and education network, dedicated to providing advanced ICT infrastructure, identity federation services, and collaborative platforms for universities and research institutions across the country. It ensures that research institutions in Nigeria can operate at the frontiers of knowledge and innovation. By providing reliable connectivity, cloud hosting, and digital identity services. NgREN is helping educational and research institutions translate their research into real-world impact.
