Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has said the Federal Ministry of Education remains fully committed to providing the policy support, coordination, and leadership required to ensure the successful nationwide rollout of the National University Advancement Programme (NUAP).

Speaking yesterday during the launch of the programme organised by the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education and the Africa Finance Corporation in Lagos, he said the gathering was far more than a formal meeting of stakeholders, but represents a strategic turning point in how we think about the future financing, governance, and institutional resilience of our universities.

“Across the federation, our higher education system continues to grapple with multiple pressures, limited public resources, expanding enrolments, ageing infrastructure,and the urgent need to strengthen research, innovation, and global competitiveness.”

According to him, these realities compel us to act differently. They demand that we complement government funding with new, sustainable mechanisms that mobilise private capital, alumni support, philanthropy endowments, and transparent advancement systems anchored on trust.

“It is in this context that the partnership between the Federal Ministry of Education and the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation is both timely and strategic. Together, we are laying the foundation for a nationally coordinated University Advancement Framework that will serve all federal universities, regardless of age, size, or geographic location and provide a structured pathway for institutional financial resilience.

“Our objective is clear and deliberate.To institutionalise professionally run advancement offices across federal universities, to build leadership and technical capacity for alumni relations fundraising, donor stewardship, and endowment management and to establish enduring financial structures that can sustainably support scholarships, research excellence, innovation, and infrastructure development.”

He said the initiative aligned squarely with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which emphasises system reform, efficiency, sustainability, and partnership-driven development.

The Chairman of NHEF, Wale Adeosun, said the convening marks a defining moment in their shared commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s higher education system through collaboration, innovation and purposeful leadership.

President and CEO, Africa Finance Corporation, Mr Samaila Zubairu, said the launch of NUAP represents an important step in strengthening alumni engagement and long-term institutional support within Nigeria’s higher education system.