Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, and China’s Central South University (CSU) have announced plans to expand their 3+2 double degree partnership, aimed at strengthening technology education, skills development and research capacity in Nigeria.
ABU’s Director of Public Affairs, Auwalu Umar, disclosed this in a statement to journalists in Zaria on Sunday, following a virtual meeting held on December 19 to reactivate and scale up the collaboration.
He said the renewed engagement reflects a shared commitment by both institutions to deepen international academic cooperation, particularly in engineering, science and technology disciplines critical to Nigeria’s development.
According to Umar, the partnership, which began in 2017 under the China–Africa Cooperation framework, allows participating students to spend three years studying at ABU and two years at CSU, graduating with degrees from both universities.
“The programme officially commenced in 2018 with 45 ABU students studying in China. Although it was disrupted in 2021 by COVID-19 lockdowns, it clearly demonstrated the value of cross-border academic cooperation in building global competencies,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor of ABU, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, described the initiative as a flagship model for advancing engineering and technology education, noting that its expansion would further strengthen Nigeria’s human capital base.
He said beyond student training, the expanded partnership would cover staff exchange programmes, joint research supervision and collaboration in key areas such as renewable energy, computer engineering and medical sciences.
According to him, the collaboration would also enhance technology transfer, innovation and research output, while positioning ABU as a hub for globally competitive technical education.
“The ABU–CSU partnership is a strong example of China–Africa cooperation in technology advancement and capacity building,” Ahmed said, adding that the university is committed to leveraging international partnerships to improve teaching quality and research relevance.
The renewed agreement is expected to open up more opportunities for Nigerian students and academics to gain international exposure, advanced skills and cutting-edge research experience, while contributing to the country’s long-term technological and economic growth.
