Director of the African Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Power and Energy Development (ACE-SPED) at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Professor Emenike Chinedozi Ejiogu, says the newly launched ACE Alliance marks a major step toward developing homegrown technologies and innovation for Africa’s power and education sectors.
Speaking at the launch of the ACE Alliance on Monday in Abuja, Prof. Ejiogu said the initiative brings together 20 Centres of Excellence across Nigeria to ensure sustainability and innovation in research, education, and development.
According to him, the African Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Power and Energy Development, domiciled at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, serves as a one-stop shop for sustainable energy and power development.
Ejiogu explained that his Centre has developed an in-house 100% fabricated waste-to-energy conversion system that turns waste such as sawdust and rice husks into usable solid fuels, which are then converted into gas for electricity generation.
He added that the project aims to make power supply more affordable and sustainable through locally fabricated systems.
He said, “Well, today we are launching the ACE Alliance. ACE means African Centres of Excellence. These are the association of all the centres of excellence in Nigeria for the past 10 years. There are 20 of us. Some of us operated 10 years ago, some 5 years ago till now.
“We have created a waste-to-energy conversion system that can serve as a basis for a mini-grid system, an off-grid system. We can supply as much power as 10 MW, or even more. The interesting aspect is that we have developed a value chain that can convert waste to energy.
“Such that the supply of electricity or even thermal energy can be very cheap. That is one of the major breakthroughs we have had in the centre.”
The centre, according to him, also trains master’s and PhD students in all aspects of energy and power, from generation to control and management; while developing systems that can be commercialised to impact society directly.
Ejiogu said if the centre’s waste-to-energy systems are implemented nationwide, Nigeria’s power generation capacity could surpass current grid output.
He called on entrepreneurs to partner with the centre to commercialise the innovations, noting that such collaboration would help solve Nigeria’s energy challenges and promote economic growth.
He said, “What we do is hands-on training. We don’t just train theoretically. The students get to know that this is a practical system that can be developed. In fact, most of what we have here are all student projects, master’s and PhD projects.
“Just imagine introducing a 10-megawatt plant in 774 local government areas of Nigeria. And we can do this within 24 months. That gives you 7,740 megawatt power that we can infuse into the Nigerian power sector within 24 months. That’s already more than what the National Grid is using now.”
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described the launch as a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s dedication to academic excellence, innovation, and sustainable development.
Alausa said the government remains steadfast in its commitment to strengthening innovation, collaboration, and global competitiveness within the nation’s tertiary education system.
According to him, the ACE Alliance brings together all 20 Africa Centres of Excellence (ACEs) hosted in 17 Nigerian universities, including three that transitioned from the earlier phase of the project, into a unified network for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and global engagement.
The Minister commended the ACE Project, jointly funded by the World Bank and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) in partnership with the Federal Government, describing it as a major stride aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the project demonstrates how strategic partnerships can drive sustainable growth while reinforcing Nigeria’s leadership in higher education and research across the continent.
“The ACEs are helping to shape the skilled workforce and knowledge base our nation needs to compete in a dynamic global economy,” Alausa noted.
Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, said Nigeria has commenced efforts to secure $150 million in new development funding from the World Bank for the proposed ACE Innovate Project, which represents the next phase of the World Bank-supported ACE programme.
He said the new initiative aims to sustain cutting-edge research and innovation across Nigerian universities, while institutionalising excellence in postgraduate education, research, and innovation.
National Project Coordinator of the ACE Project, Dr. Joshua Atah, traced the programme’s history to August 2012, noting that it was officially launched in 2014 to strengthen postgraduate education and research focused on Africa’s pressing challenges in STEM, agriculture, and health.
He said, “These Centres have evolved into engines of innovation and excellence. They have collectively attracted over $145 million through performance-based disbursements and mobilised additional funds exceeding N3.9 billion, $46 million, €1.78 million, and £2.6 million from diverse sources.”
In her remarks, World Bank Manager of Education for Western and Central Africa, Scherezad Latif, commended Nigeria’s leadership in higher education and regional growth.
Latif said the achievements of the Centres show how Africa can “build for Africa,” transforming knowledge into real-world solutions that improve communities and drive economic transformation.
She also unveiled plans for ACE Innovate, a new initiative aimed at equipping African youth with advanced skills, entrepreneurial capacity, and job readiness in key economic sectors, urging universities to deepen ties with industry and align academic programmes with labour market needs.
