FG Launches ACE Alliance Compendium, Pursues $150m World Bank Funding
By Alice Etuka, Abuja
The Federal Government has unveiled a four-volume Compendium highlighting the achievements and impact of the Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE) Project in Nigeria.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa who chaired the unveiling ceremony in Abuja on Monday stated that the government remained steadfast in its commitment to strengthening innovation, collaboration, and global competitiveness within the nation’s tertiary education system.
Alausa noted that the ACE Alliance brought together all 20 Africa Centres of Excellence (ACEs) hosted in 17 Nigerian universities into a unified network for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and global engagement.
He commended the ACE Project, jointly funded by the World Bank and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) in partnership with the Federal Government, describing it as a major stride aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to the Minister, the project demonstrates how strategic partnerships can drive sustainable growth.
“The ACEs are helping to shape the skilled workforce and knowledge base our nation needs to compete in a dynamic global economy,” he said.
Dr. Alausa then announced that the Ministry of Education had approved the National Universities Commission’s (NUC) proposal to collaborate with more development partners in implementing the Blueprint for the Rapid Revitalisation of University Education.
He also commended the Centres’ achievements, adding that their success was attracting international students and faculty, promoting regional partnerships, and positioning Nigeria as a regional hub for quality postgraduate education and innovation.
On his part , Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, disclosed that Nigeria had commenced efforts to secure $150 million in new development funding from the World Bank for the proposed ACE Innovate Project.
Ribadu informed that the initiative represents the next phase of the World Bank-supported ACE Project and aims to sustain cutting-edge research and innovation across Nigerian universities.
He said the Minister of Education had already written to the Federal Ministry of Finance, seeking the World Bank’s engagement on the proposed funding.
He added that the request showed Nigeria’s determination to build on the successes of the ACE Project and to institutionalise excellence in postgraduate education, research and innovation.
According to the Executive Secretary, the ACE Project was one of the most transformative initiatives in the history of higher education in sub-Saharan Africa, as the 17 Nigerian universities hosting 20 Centres of Excellence have, over the past decade, produced groundbreaking research and innovations that address regional development priorities in health, agriculture, ICT, education and engineering.
He further hinted that the upcoming ACE Innovate Project would expand on previous achievements by collaborating with other development institutions such as the African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa.
“We will continue to engage other development partners to explore new collaborative frameworks that can build on the lessons of the ACE Project and the NUC’s goal of ensuring a university system that is at par with its contemporaries globally.
“Some of these partners we are currently in talks with include the African Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa. This is important because 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.
“We also remain committed to institutionalising the ACEs within their host universities, ensuring they remain engines of innovation, policy influence, and capacity building for generations to come,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Project Coordinator of the ACE Project, Dr. Joshua Atah recalled that the project was officially launched in 2014 with the goal of strengthening postgraduate education and research focused on Africa’s pressing challenges in STEM, agriculture, and health.
Atah informed that under the first phase, ACE I, ten Nigerian universities were selected to host Centres of Excellence, the highest number among all participating nations.
He further disclosed that the ACE Impact Project was introduced in 2019 with joint support from the World Bank and AFD, expanding to 53 Centres across 11 African countries, with Nigeria hosting 17 of them.
“These Centres have evolved into engines of innovation and excellence. They have collectively attracted over $145 million through performance-based disbursements and mobilised additional funds exceeding N3.9 billion, $46 million, €1.78 million, and £2.6 million from diverse sources.
“The Centres have also produced over 6,600 graduates, including 1,596 PhDs, with faculty and students publishing over 4,200 scientific papers in reputable journals”, he said.
