The National Universities Commission (NUC) has unveiled a National Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) transformation strategy for Nigeria’s higher education system.

The initiative is designed to reposition universities to play a more central role in driving innovation, industrialisation and sustainable national development.

The draft strategy was presented for review during a national stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja, which attracted representatives of government, academia, industry and development partners.

They reviewed the document and made recommendations to strengthen it ahead of finalisation.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof Abdullahi Ribadu, said Nigeria’s development must increasingly be driven by science, technology, innovation, research and entrepreneurship.

Represented by the Director of Research, Innovation and Information Technology, Lawal Faruk, the NUC chief noted that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing and renewable energy will be critical to job creation, economic prosperity and global competitiveness.

He pointed out that the country’s higher education system must move beyond theoretical instruction and produce graduates with practical skills to address national and global challenges, particularly in healthcare, technology, and economic development.

He said the commission constituted the STEM committee to develop a comprehensive national strategy.

The committee conducted extensive in-person and virtual consultations with stakeholders across the country while drafting the document.

Ribadu noted that the draft strategy is in line with the federal government’s national development plan and the African Union (AU) agenda 2063.

He added that the process also enjoys support from the French Development Agency (AFD), through interventions in infrastructure development, faculty capacity building, governance reforms and quality assurance.

The NUC chief emphasised that investment in STEM education is critical to economic diversification, industrialisation, job creation and technological advancement.

He urged stakeholders to critically review the draft and make practical, inclusive, and forward-looking recommendations to strengthen the final document.

He assured participants that their contributions would be carefully considered before the strategy is finalised and presented for peer review.

Earlier in his remarks, the Director of Special Projects, Dr Joshua Atah, said the engagement was part of the broader blueprint for the revitalisation of the Nigerian university system, supported by the AFD.

He explained that the initiative is designed to provide a structure for implementing key recommendations from previous stakeholders’ engagements.

Atah said the review meeting was convened to gather additional insights and recommendations to improve the strategy and guide its effective implementation across the university system.

Similarly, the Chairman of the committee, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said the engagement aimed to review the committee’s report and enrich it with perspectives from a broad range of stakeholders.

Ogundipe, who doubles as Chairman of the NUC governing board, said the committee’s membership had been expanded to include representatives from universities across the country.

This, he said, was to promote broader participation and inclusion in developing the strategy.

He noted that Nigeria’s progress in education, science and technology must be measured against global best practices, rather than local benchmarks, if the country is to remain competitive internationally.

Using the analogy of a flowing river and a stagnant lagoon, the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), said continuous exchange of knowledge stimulates innovation and breakthroughs, and enjoined Nigerian universities to deepen engagement with the global academic community, embrace new ideas and contribute to international knowledge production rather than operate in isolation.

He called on participants to critically examine the draft strategy and make recommendations that will position Nigeria’s university system to meet international standards and contribute significantly to national transformation.

In a goodwill message, a representative of the French Development Agency described the engagement as an important step towards developing practical solutions to advance higher education in Nigeria and called for robust, results-oriented deliberations.