From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has described the Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE), a World Bank-assisted education project, as a major key player in strengthening Nigeria’s education system, particularly the university system.
The NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, further confirmed that the project enhances postgraduate education and research in critical sectors and is set to officially conclude its current phase of funding by June 30, 2025.
He hailed the ACE Impact initiative, noting that it had elevated Nigeria’s academic institutions into globally competitive hubs of knowledge generation, innovation, and development.
At the pre-closure retreat for the ACE Impact Project in Abuja, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, Prof. Ribadu urged beneficiary institutions to look beyond donor support and focus on sustainability.
He emphasised that the centres must transition from temporary project status into permanent institutional assets, while urging vice-chancellors and centre leaders to solidify their sustainability strategies.
He also urged them to secure diversified funding sources and entrench governance frameworks that attract both public and private investment.
“This project has empowered our universities and contributed significantly to regional integration and internationalisation.
“ACE Centres have produced high-quality master’s and PhD graduates, secured international accreditations, attracted major external funding, and driven innovation across key sectors such as health, agriculture, STEM, and education.
“This is not the end, but the beginning of a new phase of responsibility. We must scale up the gains of the past decade and ensure these centres remain engines of growth and regional leadership,” he said.
The National Project Coordinator of the ACE Project, Joshua Attah, said the project, which spans 17 centres within 14 Nigerian universities, had made significant strides.
Attah said the strides were made in research output, postgraduate training, and regional academic integration. “These projects are not going away. What’s ending is the funding, but the infrastructure, the capacity, and the benefits to students and researchers remain firmly in place,” he said.
He added that the ACE centres have been pivotal in training master’s and PhD students, including a growing number of foreign scholars, marking a revival in Nigeria’s regional academic leadership.
He explained that the ACE Impact had expanded the initiative to 53 centres across 11 countries, with Nigeria hosting the highest number, having 17 centres of excellence.
“These centres cover strategic areas such as maternal and child health, cybersecurity, sustainable power, dryland agriculture, food security, and digital science.
“They have collectively positioned Nigeria at the forefront of academic excellence and development-driven research on the continent,” he added.
Attah further said the 17 centres had earned $89.1 million through the achievement of Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) and generated additional funding of over ₦3.2 billion, $24.9 million, €1.77 million, and £589,000 from local and international sources.
He said the resources have been deployed to improve infrastructure, acquire cutting-edge equipment, support scholarships with gender inclusivity, and secure both national and international accreditations.
“Notably, 128 programmes have been accredited by the NUC, with several others receiving international endorsements. The centres have recorded a total enrolment of 33,347 students, comprising both national and regional students.
“Among these are 924 regional students (294 female and 630 male) and 6,129 national students (2,681 female and 3,448 male). In terms of graduate-level enrolment, a total of 6,945 students are pursuing advanced degrees. Of this number, 1,862 are PhD students, and 5,083 are pursuing MSc degrees,” he added.
Prof. Christian Happi, Director of the African Centre of Excellence for Genomic Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) at Redeemer’s University, emphasised that the success of the ACE programme lies not only in scientific achievement but in its regional integration.
Happi said it has also attracted international grants and students, which was a hallmark of a sustainable and internationally respected academic model.
Corroborating this, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), highlighted the success of the university’s own ACE project, the Centre of Excellence in STEM Education.
“Our centre has helped us gain international accreditation and elevated LASU’s global academic standing. We’ve trained graduates from across Africa, including Gambia, Sierra Leone, Niger, and Gabon,” she said.
The ACE initiative, backed by the World Bank and regional governments, continues to demonstrate the transformative power of targeted investment in higher education and research on the continent.