The Federal Ministry of Education has unveiled an upgraded version of the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN), now integrated with the Tertiary Education, Research, Applications, and Services (TERAS) platform. The initiative aims to boost digital connectivity, research collaboration, and innovation across Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
The launch ceremony, held in Abuja, was presided over by the Honourable Minister of Education, Chief (Dr.) Maruf Tunji Alausa, FAMedS, CON, who described the development as a significant milestone in the modernization of teaching, learning, and research through technology and data-driven collaboration.
According to Dr. Alausa, the upgraded NgREN will function as a high-speed national education network connecting universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. It is designed to support e-learning, cloud computing, and advanced research services in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for a knowledge-driven economy.
He explained that integrating NgREN with TERAS creates a unified digital ecosystem that provides access to research databases, plagiarism detection systems, high-performance computing, and institutional analytics. The initiative, supported by the World Bank through the SPESSE and ACE Impact projects, also includes the deployment of cloud data centers, e-libraries, and campus-wide Wi-Fi in participating institutions.
The Minister commended the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for their leadership roles in advancing the project. He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to leveraging digital infrastructure as the foundation for tertiary education reform, ensuring transparency, innovation, and cost-effective access to quality education nationwide.
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