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Stakeholders drawn from government, academia, industry and development partners recently convened at the National Universities Commission (NUC), Abuja, to review the Draft National Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Transformation Strategy aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s higher education system.
Welcoming participants to the event, the Executive Secretary, NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, represented by the Director of Research, Innovation and Information Technology (DRIIT), Mallam Lawal Faruk, said the gathering reflected a shared commitment to transforming higher education in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government.
Prof. Ribadu stated that Nigeria’s development must be driven by Science, Technology, Innovation, Research and Entrepreneurship, noting that emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, Biotechnology, Advanced Manufacturing and Renewable Energy are essential for creating jobs, promoting economic prosperity and enhancing global competitiveness.
He observed that Nigeria’s higher education system must move beyond theoretical instruction to producing graduates equipped with practical skills capable of addressing national and global challenges, particularly in healthcare, technology and economic development.
The executive secretary explained that it was against this backdrop that the Commission constituted the STEM Transformation Strategy Committee, which was subsequently inaugurated by the president with the mandate to develop a comprehensive national strategy through extensive physical and virtual stakeholder engagements.
He noted that the draft strategy aligns with the Federal Government’s National Development Plan and the African Union Agenda and is supported by the French Development Agency (AFD) through interventions in infrastructure development, faculty capacity building, governance reforms and quality assurance.
Ribadu emphasised that investment in STEM education remains critical to economic diversification, industrialisation, job creation, technological advancement and sustainable national development. He therefore urged stakeholders to review the draft document critically and make practical, inclusive and forward-looking recommendations.
He assured participants that all contributions arising from the engagement would be carefully considered in finalising the strategy before formally presenting the draft National STEM transformation strategy for peer review and wishing participants fruitful deliberations.
Earlier in his address, the Director of Special Projects, Dr. Joshua Atah, describing the engagement as part of the broader Blueprint for the Revitalisation of the Nigerian University System, a project supported by the French Development Agency (AFD).
He explained that the initiative includes a sub-component on the Large System Transformation Strategy, designed to provide a framework for implementing key recommendations arising from previous stakeholder engagements.
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According to him, the review meeting was intended to obtain additional insights and recommendations that would strengthen the strategy and guide its effective implementation.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the STEM Transformation Strategy Committee and Chairman of the NUC Governing Board, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, thanked participants for attending the national stakeholder engagement, noting that the meeting was convened to review the Committee’s report and enrich it with diverse perspectives.
He disclosed that the committee’s membership was expanded to include representatives from universities across the country in order to ensure broader participation and inclusiveness.
Ogundipe stressed that Nigeria’s progress in education, science, technology and other strategic sectors must be measured against global best practices rather than local benchmarks if the country is to remain globally competitive.
Using the analogy of a flowing river and a stagnant lagoon, he explained that continuous exchange of knowledge stimulates innovation and breakthroughs, adding that Nigerian universities must actively engage with the global academic community, embrace new ideas and contribute meaningfully to international knowledge production instead of operating in isolation.
He urged participants to critically examine the draft report and make recommendations that would position Nigeria’s university system to meet international standards and drive national transformation.
Prof. Ogundipe thanked all stakeholders for their commitment and reaffirmed that the engagement was aimed at producing a practical and effective STEM transformation strategy for the country.
In a goodwill message, the representative of the French Development Agency (AFD) expressed delight at the broad participation of stakeholders, describing the engagement as an important step towards developing practical solutions for the advancement of higher education in Nigeria.
The representative emphasised the value of shared experiences in shaping the strategy and called for robust, result-oriented deliberations that would produce actionable recommendations for the future of STEM education and national development.
