The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s higher education system through the National University Advancement Programme (NUAP), describing the initiative as a key strategy for building financially sustainable, globally competitive and future-ready universities….
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s higher education system through the National University Advancement Programme (NUAP), describing the initiative as a key strategy for building financially sustainable, globally competitive and future-ready universities.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, gave the assurance in a keynote address delivered on his behalf at the closing ceremony of the National University Advancement Programme training for university officials.
Alausa said the programme is a strategic intervention aimed at promoting institutional sustainability and repositioning Nigerian universities for long-term growth in an increasingly competitive global knowledge economy.
He noted that the completion of the training represented more than the end of a capacity-building exercise, describing it as a renewed national commitment to developing stronger institutions equipped with the leadership, systems and partnerships needed to compete globally.
The minister commended the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for its continued investment in higher education and urged universities to strengthen governance structures, forge strategic partnerships and deepen engagement with their alumni.
According to him, stronger alumni participation would unlock new opportunities for research, innovation, scholarships, infrastructure development, endowment growth and long-term institutional sustainability.
Alausa stressed that the National University Advancement Programme is not designed to replace government funding but to complement existing investments by creating additional avenues for resource mobilisation, research support, innovation and institutional development.
He explained that the initiative was established through a partnership involving the Federal Ministry of Education, the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation and the Africa Finance Corporation to institutionalise professionally managed Advancement Offices across federal universities and inter-university centres.
The minister said the offices would coordinate alumni engagement, donor relations, fundraising, endowment management, strategic communications, resource mobilisation and institutional partnerships, thereby strengthening universities’ financial resilience, expanding research opportunities and enhancing global competitiveness.
He also observed that Nigerian universities possess a valuable but underutilised asset in their alumni, many of whom have excelled in business, science, medicine, technology, entrepreneurship and public service both within Nigeria and abroad.
According to the minister, sustained alumni engagement would lead to increased research funding, expanded scholarship opportunities, stronger mentorship programmes, improved infrastructure, enhanced institutional partnerships and greater innovation across the higher education sector.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Technical Working Committee of the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation, Claire Jemide, described the foundation as a strategic partner committed to transforming Nigeria’s higher education system through sustained investment in people, institutions and collaborative partnerships.
Jemide said the foundation’s interventions have expanded from supporting outstanding students through the NHEF Scholars Programme to promoting faculty development, healthcare leadership, university governance and institutional transformation.
She explained that the National University Advancement Programme, launched following the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the Federal Ministry of Education and the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation in January 2026, marks another milestone in equipping Nigerian universities with the knowledge, systems and strategies required to strengthen alumni engagement, fundraising, strategic communications and long-term institutional advancement.
Jemide reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to working with the Federal Government and other stakeholders to build sustainable, globally competitive universities capable of driving innovation, research and national development.
