The National Universities Commission (NUC) on Wednesday convened a pre-closure retreat for the Africa Centres of Excellence for Development Impact (ACE Impact) project, marking a decade of achievements in advancing higher education and applied research in Nigeria and across West and Central Africa.
In his address, the Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, described the ACE Impact project as a transformative initiative that has established Centres of Excellence in critical areas like health, STEM, agriculture, and education. He acknowledged the project’s role in producing high-quality postgraduate graduates, generating research breakthroughs, and attracting international partnerships.
Prof. Ribadu emphasized the need for sustainability as donor support winds down, calling on universities to fully integrate the Centres as permanent institutional assets. He announced the formation of an “ACE Alliance” to promote continuous collaboration among the Centres beyond the project’s official closure on June 30, 2025.
Also speaking, the National Project Coordinator, Prof. Salihu Mohammed, highlighted key achievements of the Nigerian Centres, including attracting over $89.1 million in disbursements, generating substantial local and international funding, enrolling over 33,000 students, producing over 2,500 publications, and forming over 450 national and international partnerships.
He commended the World Bank, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), university leaders, and Centre teams for their commitment, while reaffirming plans for continued government and regulatory support to sustain the gains made under the ACE programme.
