FG, Birmingham Varsity Launch Transnational Education Alliance

Alausa: Nigeria now prime destination for education investments

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja 

The federal government and the University of Birmingham (UoB) have struck an arrangement that will see the UK institution embark on a partnership that will expand Nigeria’s capacity to train and upskill lecturers and deliver world-class undergraduate and postgraduate education.

In a meeting with the Provost of the University,  Prof. Stephen Jarvis, and his team at the university’s main campus in the UK, Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, stated that several models for UoB’s transnational footprint in Nigeria were explored.

According to him, these included the possibility of: Establishing a branch campus; acquiring an existing university; operating through a franchise model; creating an articulation and ‘TWINNING’ partnership and leveraging a virtual institution in collaboration with an existing Nigerian university.

Following extensive deliberations, the parties, the minister said, narrowed their focus to two feasible models: an articulation/training approach or integrating within an existing Nigerian university. 

As part of the next steps, both sides agreed to begin identifying suitable public and private Nigerian universities for potential partnership, a development that will facilitate the timely implementation of the transnational education initiative.

To this end, the University of Birmingham team is scheduled to visit Nigeria in July 2025, with the Federal Ministry of Education to concurrently establish a dedicated task force to drive the initiative. 

Besides, Alausa stated that the task force will include representatives from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), the British Council, the UK Department for Business and Trade, UoB, as well as members from the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and private universities.

The minister also emphasised the government’s intent to utilise TETFUND’s Manpower Development Fund to support postgraduate training in STEM fields, research in life and medical sciences, and teacher professional development across both foundational and tertiary levels.

“The proposed UoB transnational education campus will offer undergraduate programmes strategically aligned with NIGERIA EDUCATION SECTOR RENEWAL INITIATIVE (NESRI), with the aim of building a high-skilled workforce.

“Today marks another milestone for the nation. Under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria is regaining its stature on the global stage. Countries around the world are now considering Nigeria as a prime destination for investments in education, technology, and infrastructure.

“We are firmly on course to transform Nigeria from a resource-based economy into a knowledge-based and skills-based nation. Hosting a prestigious institution like the University of Birmingham is a significant win for the country,” Alausa stated.

Quoting President Bola Tinubu, Alausa noted that:  “The youth are the heartbeat of this country,” pointing out that the most impactful way to support them is through access to high quality education and providing them with meaningful life skills.

The minister added that this will enable them to contribute to the communities they live in, the country and globally—a presidential mandate Alausa said he remains committed and dedicated to fulfilling.

Furthermore, the terms of reference for the task force will include: Identifying the infrastructure required for UoB to establish a campus in Nigeria; aligning with findings from previous gap analyses; assessing Nigeria’s current and future educational needs, and determining how UoB can best contribute to national goals.

“This initiative aims to position Nigeria as the first African country to implement a transnational education model with a UK Russell Group university. Both parties are committed to accelerating progress to enable the admission of the first cohort of students in the upcoming academic year.

“The benefits of this initiative are significant. It will expand Nigeria’s capacity to train and upskill lecturers and deliver world-class undergraduate and postgraduate education—crucial for our youthful and growing population,” he explained.