The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to building financially resilient and globally competitive universities through the National University Advancement Programme (NUAP).
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, made this known in a keynote address delivered at the closing ceremony of the NUAP training for university officials in Abuja.
This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Friday by the Special Adviser to the Minister on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah.
Alausa said the programme was a strategic intervention aimed at strengthening institutional sustainability and positioning Nigeria’s higher education system for long-term growth.
He described the initiative as a renewed national commitment to building stronger universities with the capacity, partnerships and institutional systems required to compete in the global knowledge economy.
”The National University Advancement Programme is not intended to replace government support for higher education.
”Rather, it complements existing investments by creating additional pathways for sustainability, innovation, research support, scholarships and long-term institutional growth,” he said.
The minister said universities must strengthen their internal systems, cultivate strategic partnerships and deliberately engage their alumni to unlock opportunities for research, innovation, scholarships, infrastructure development and sustainable institutional growth.
He explained that the programme was established through a partnership involving the Federal Ministry of Education, the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation (NHEF) and the Africa Finance Corporation.
According to him, the initiative seeks to institutionalize professionally managed Advancement Offices across federal universities and inter-university centres.
He said the offices would coordinate alumni engagement, donor relations, endowment management, strategic communications, resource mobilization and institutional partnerships to enhance universities’ financial resilience and global visibility.
Alausa noted that Nigerian universities possessed a vast but underutilized alumni network, comprising professionals excelling in business, science, medicine, technology, entrepreneurship and public service across the world.
”When universities maintain strong relationships with their alumni, research receives greater support, students gain access to scholarships and mentorship opportunities, institutions build stronger partnerships, infrastructure improves and innovation expands.”
He said the Federal Government’s vision was to build financially stronger universities driven by robust research ecosystems while remaining responsive to Nigeria’s development priorities.
The minister urged participants to apply the knowledge gained during the training by establishing systems that promote accountability, strengthen institutional trust, improve governance and enhance students’ overall learning experience.
He reaffirmed that the federal government’s education reform agenda remained focused on strengthening institutions, expanding access to quality education and positioning the sector as a catalyst for national development.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Technical Working Committee of the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation, Claire Jemide, described the foundation as a strategic partner committed to strengthening Nigeria’s higher education ecosystem.
Jemide said the foundation had expanded its interventions from supporting outstanding students through the NHEF Scholars Programme to advancing faculty development, healthcare leadership, university governance and institutional transformation.
She said the programme, launched after the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with the Federal Ministry of Education in January 2026, would equip universities with the systems and strategies needed to strengthen alumni engagement, fundraising, communications and long-term institutional advancement.
The NUAP brought together vice-chancellors, university administrators, advancement officers and senior officials from federal universities and inter-university centres for training on global best practices in institutional advancement, donor stewardship, alumni relations and sustainable university development.(NAN).
