NIGERIA (Abuja)- The World Bank Lead Economist on Africa Education, Mr. Andreas Blom, has stated that at least $80m will be expended by the bank on 10 Africa Centre of Excellence (ACE) in Nigeria.

He said this in Abuja on Monday at a meeting of World Bank with 10 ACE in Abuja.

The universities that will benefit from the ACE funding are  Redeemer University Mowe, Ogun State, University of Ibadan, Ibadan (Africa Centre of Excellence for Genomic of Infectious Diseases, ACGID), African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Pan African Material Institute, PAMI), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (centre for Agricutural Development and Sustainable Environment), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (Center of Excellence on Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology), University of Jos (Phytomemedicine Research and Development, ACEPRD), University of Benin (Center for Excellence in Reproductive Health and Innovation), and University of Port-Harcourt (ACE Center for oil field Chemicals).

Due to the number of excellent proposals from Nigeria, three more universities were added they were, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (knowledge Park: A model for National Science Technology and Knowledge Park Initiative) STEM, Bayero University, Kano (African Centre of Excellence in Dryland Agriculture and Benue State University, Makurdi (Centre for Food Technology and Research (CEFTER) – Agriculture.

Mr. Blom, who identified poverty as a major challenge in relation to food wastage, storage and health related challenges, said the initiative would help to solve African problems with African resources.

 “For Nigeria to have 10 out of 18 Centers of ACEs, it shows its clear leadership in the continent” he said.

In the same vein, the Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie, said the ACE project was to build capacity in competitively selected institutions to produce in-demand highly and applied research, and secondly to facilitate rapid development within the African sub-region through the strengthening of Centres of Excellence by way of collaborations and partnering in the sharing of talents, skilled labour and higher education services.

“Under the ACE programme, grants of up to US$8 million would be awarded to winning proposals, from various institutions across Africa consisting of a lead institution and collaborating partners. The primary focus would be on science, technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Health Sciences and Agricultural Sciences.

A total of 55 proposals were received, all of which were carefully evaluated by a team of experts assembled by NUC”. Okojie said.