The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to building financially resilient and globally competitive universities through the National University Advancement Programme (NUAP), aimed at improving institutional sustainability and reducing dependence on government funding.
Speaking through a representative at the closing ceremony of the National University Advancement Programme training for university officials, the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the initiative would help universities strengthen alumni engagement, attract donor support and establish strategic partnerships to drive long-term growth.
According to the minister, the programme is designed to complement, not replace, government funding by creating additional avenues for research financing, scholarships, innovation, infrastructure development and institutional advancement.
Alausa said NUAP was established through a partnership involving the Federal Ministry of Education, the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation and the Africa Finance Corporation to establish professionally managed Advancement Offices across federal universities and inter-university centres.
He explained that the offices would coordinate alumni relations, donor engagement, fundraising, endowment management, strategic communications and institutional partnerships, helping universities improve financial resilience, research output and global visibility.
The minister described Nigerian university alumni as one of the country’s most valuable but underutilised assets, noting that stronger alumni networks could expand scholarship opportunities, mentorship programmes, research funding and infrastructure development.
He urged university administrators and advancement officers who participated in the training to implement the knowledge gained by strengthening governance, accountability and institutional trust within their respective institutions.
Alausa also reaffirmed that the Federal Government’s education reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remain focused on expanding access to quality education, strengthening institutions and positioning the sector as a driver of national development.
Also speaking, Claire Jemide, Chairman of the Technical Working Committee of the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation, said the foundation remained committed to supporting Nigeria’s higher education sector through investments in students, faculty development, healthcare leadership, university governance and institutional transformation.
She said the University Advancement Programme, launched after the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with the Federal Ministry of Education in January 2026, would equip universities with systems and strategies to improve fundraising, alumni engagement, communications and sustainable institutional development.
The training brought together vice-chancellors, university administrators, advancement officers and senior officials from federal universities and inter-university centres across Nigeria to receive training on global best practices in institutional advancement, donor stewardship and sustainable university development.
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