The Nigerian government has commenced efforts to secure a $150 million development fund from the World Bank to implement the Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE) Innovate Project, designed to sustain cutting-edge research and innovation across the country’s universities.
The fund will support the next phase of the World Bank-backed ACE initiative, which aims to address Nigeria’s critical development challenges through higher education, research, and innovation.
Speaking in Abuja during the official launch of the ACE Alliance and the unveiling of a four-volume Compendium of Key Achievements and Impacts of the ACE Project in Nigeria, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, confirmed that the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, had written to the Federal Ministry of Finance to initiate discussions with the World Bank for the new round of funding.
“The request for $150 million in new World Bank support signals Nigeria’s determination to consolidate the gains of the ACE Project and institutionalise excellence in research, innovation, and postgraduate education,” Prof. Ribadu said.
He described the ACE Project as one of the most transformative higher education initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa, noting that 17 Nigerian universities hosting 20 centres of eccellence have, over the past decade, delivered world-class research, postgraduate training, and innovations addressing national and regional priorities in health, agriculture, ICT, education, and engineering.
Prof. Ribadu explained that the ACE Innovate Project would build on these achievements, while efforts are underway to expand collaboration with other development partners—including the African Development Bank (AfDB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa—to ensure sustainability beyond donor cycles.
“We will continue to engage other development partners to build on the lessons of the ACE Project and advance the NUC’s goal of a university system that meets global standards,” he said.
“We aim to sustain excellence, expand opportunities, and ensure that the structures and systems established under ACE continue to thrive beyond the project’s lifecycle.”
The NUC boss also inaugurated an interim steering committee for the newly established ACE Alliance, which will foster collaboration, research exchange, and policy engagement among Nigeria’s Centres of Excellence.
“I am confident that the project will deepen research collaboration and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in higher education,” he added.
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In his remarks, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa said the ACE Project, co-financed by the French Development Agency (AFD), has significantly strengthened Nigeria’s leadership role in African higher education, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises education as a foundation for national development.
He said the Compendium of Key Achievements documents over 2,000 peer-reviewed publications, a directory of scholars and research equipment, and a comprehensive record of innovations achieved by Nigerian universities under the World Bank-supported project.
“With the ACE Alliance and the Innovate Project, Nigeria is poised to transform its universities into engines of growth, innovation, and sustainable development,” Alausa said.
“The ACE projects have contributed immensely to the internationalisation of Nigeria’s education system, attracting students and faculty from across Africa and positioning the country as a regional hub for academic excellence.”
He noted that the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s broader agenda to integrate into global education data systems and ensure its institutions are ranked among the world’s best.
“Through the ACE Alliance, our Centres can forge stronger partnerships with global institutions, promote joint degrees, faculty exchanges, and collaborative research that benefit students and faculty alike,” he said.
The National Coordinator of the ACE Project in Nigeria, Dr Joshua Atah, described the launch of the ACE Alliance as “a celebration of visionary investment, innovation, partnership, and transformation” that has reshaped Nigeria’s higher education landscape since 2014.
He said Nigeria has led the continent in the implementation of the ACE Project — first under ACE I in 2014, with 10 Centres of Excellence, and later under ACE Impact in 2019, with 17 Centres supported by the World Bank and AFD.
According to him, Nigeria’s Centres of Excellence have attracted over $145 million in performance-based funding and mobilised additional resources worth ₦3.9 billion, $46 million, €1.78 million, and £2.6 million from various sources, all reinvested into research, infrastructure, and capacity building.
The Centres, he said, have enrolled more than 45,000 students from over 15 African countries, producing over 6,600 graduates, including 1,596 PhD holders, while publishing more than 4,200 peer-reviewed papers and forming over 625 partnerships with industry and global research institutions.
Dr Atah recalled that during the COVID-19 pandemic, two Nigerian centres were designated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as testing laboratories—a testament to their research capability and infrastructure.
“The ACE Alliance represents a bold step towards sustainability — a platform to consolidate the gains of the past decade, deepen partnerships, influence policy, and attract new investments for innovation and regional development,” he said.
“The ACE story proves that with vision, partnership, and persistence, African universities can compete globally and contribute meaningfully to the continent’s transformation.”