Nigeria’s Federal Government will this week hold a three-day Virtual Open Day to brief Nigerian universities and accredited research institutions on how to participate in the new National Digital Economy Research Clusters programme, a ₦12 billion initiative aimed at strengthening policy development in the country’s digital sector.
The sessions, scheduled for April 7 (1pm – 2pm), April 9 (9am – 10am), and April 10 (5-6pm), will be hosted by the Project BRIDGE Implementation Unit under the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, working in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education. Although spread across three days, each session will present the same information, giving institutions flexibility to attend at their convenience.
The programme follows the recent publication of the Request for Expressions of Interest, which outlines how universities can form research consortia to compete for funding.
The government expects the Open Day to answer questions arising from the EoI document, especially around eligibility, documentation, timelines, and consortium organisation.
The National Digital Economy Research Clusters initiative is designed to support large-scale, university-led research groups working across six thematic areas:
- connectivity and meaningful access,
- digital public infrastructure,
- digital skills and human capital,
- jobs and livelihoods,
- trust and safety, and
- artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
These themes reflect emerging policy issues within Nigeria’s growing digital ecosystem, many of which require sector-specific analysis and local research capacity.
Unlike previous research programmes that relied heavily on external consultants, the initiative places universities at the centre of the research process. Government officials say the goal is to ensure that policy decisions are informed by evidence generated within Nigeria’s academic community. To support this, each cluster will receive dedicated funding and operate as a multi-institutional consortium, drawing on expertise from senior academics as well as younger researchers.
Open Day will be used to explain the clusters
The Project BRIDGE team will use the Open Day to explain how these clusters are expected to function, including requirements for governance, collaboration, and reporting. Officials will also outline expectations around research outputs, engagement with policymakers, and the level of institutional commitment needed from participating universities. This level of detail is intended to help institutions avoid procedural errors when applying and improve the overall competitiveness of submissions.
The audience for the Open Day is intentionally broad. Vice-chancellors, pro-chancellors, rectors, research directors, and other senior officials are encouraged to attend because the initiative requires administrative coordination in addition to academic expertise.
Institutions still working to build internal research structures may also use the sessions to understand the level of readiness required for consortium participation.
While funding is a major feature of the programme, the government is framing it as more than a financial opportunity. The initiative is positioned as part of a wider attempt to strengthen Nigeria’s digital policy architecture by building long-term research capacity within the university system.
Policymakers have increasingly emphasised the importance of grounding regulation, innovation programmes, and digital infrastructure expansion in data and evidence. The clusters are intended to serve as a continuous pipeline of research insights rather than one-off studies.
With more than 200 researchers expected to participate, the programme is likely to become one of the most extensive digital economy research efforts undertaken within Nigerian academia. It also creates a formal channel for sustained dialogue between universities and government agencies working on technology, innovation, and digital transformation.
Registration for the Open Day is already open. Click here: b.link/NDERCOpenDay.
Participants will receive joining details before their chosen session. The online format is intended to accommodate institutions across the country without requiring travel or logistics planning.
The Federal Government has set a strict deadline for the submission of Expressions of Interest. Applications must be submitted by 12.59 pm on Monday, April 13, 2026. Institutions preparing to apply are expected to use the Open Day to seek clarity on any outstanding issues before finalising their proposals.
While the Open Day will not influence evaluation outcomes, the ministries say early engagement should help institutions strengthen the quality of their applications and reduce avoidable errors. For many universities, the sessions may also serve as an opportunity to initiate or expand collaborations that could extend beyond the current programme.
