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- might establish a campus in Nigeria
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has secured a partnership with the University of Birmingham (UoB) in the United Kingdom (UK) to strengthen the university education system and provide empowerment opportunities for undergraduates in Nigeria
The Minister, at a meeting with Prof. Stephen Jarvis, Provost of the UoB, and his team at the university’s main campus in the United Kingdom, struck a deal for a transnational education alliance with the UK university that will be, expectedly, beneficial to all parties.
He said the proposed UoB transnational education initiative will offer undergraduate programmes that are strategically aligned with Nigeria’s Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) with the aim of buildinghigh-skilled workforce for the posterity.
The Minister, in a statement, on Sunday, noted that his discussion with the UK university team focused on fostering a bilateral partnership in the transnational education, with particular emphasis on establishing a UoB presence in Nigeria.
He said the initiative was designed to position Nigeria as the first African country to implement a transnational education model with a UK Russell Group university, adding that both parties are deeply committed to accelerating progress to enable the admission of the first cohort of students in the upcoming academic year.
The Minister highlighted the benefits of the initiative, particularly the fact it will expand Nigeria’s capacity to train and upskill lecturers and deliver world-class undergraduate and postgraduate education, which are crucial for the youthful and growing population.
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He further noted that several models for UoB’s transnational footprint in Nigeria were explored during the discussion which included the possibility of establishing a branch campus or acquiring an existing university, operating through a franchise model, creating an articulation, or leveraging a virtual institution in collaboration with an existing Nigerian university.
The Minister said the UoB team has agreed to visit Nigeria in July 2025, and that the Federal Ministry of Education will establish a dedicated task force that will include representatives from TETFUND, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), the British Council, the UK Department for Business and Trade, UoB, as well as members from the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and private universities, to drive the initiative forward.
“The terms of reference for the task force will include to identify the infrastructure required for UoB to establish a campus in Nigeria, align with findings from previous gap analyses, assess Nigeria’s current and future educational needs, and determine how UoB can best contribute to national goals.
“But before then, the parties, following the extensive deliberations, have narrowed their focus to two feasible models, notably, articulation/training approach or integrating within an existing Nigerian university. These were deemed most appropriate given the current timeline and strategic objectives.
“As part of the next steps, both sides agreed to begin identifying suitable public and private Nigerian universities for potential partnership. This will facilitate the timely implementation of the transnational education initiative.
“We are firmly on course to transform Nigeria from a resource-based economy into a knowledge and skills-based nation. Hosting a prestigious institution like the University of Birmingham is a significant win for the country,” he said.
