Nigeria Targets Digital Overhaul, Global Recognition Of National Institute

Vice President Kassim Shettima has reaffirmed the resolve of the present administration to remodel the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) into a globally recognised centre of excellence digitally driven and  financially stable by 2030.

According to him, apart from serving as the most strategic platform for developing thinkers, reformers and innovators in Nigeria, the institute’s Senior Executive Course represents a deliberate investment in the nation’s future leadership as well as a meeting point for ideas that define policy, guide reform and influence the course of national development.

Shettima stated this yesterday when he represented President Bola Tinubu at the graduation ceremony of Senior Executive Course 47 of NIPSS in Kuru, Plateau State.

“His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been unequivocal in his commitment to supporting NIPSS in its transformation agenda, particularly its ambition to become a digitally driven, financially stable, and globally recognised centre of excellence by 2030.

“We recognise the Institute’s critical role in shaping national policy and in building the leadership capacity required to navigate an increasingly complex world,” he said.

The vice president noted that the support the Tinubu administration is giving to transform the institute exceeds funding, infrastructure and conducive research environment.

He said, “Our support must therefore go beyond funding, infrastructure, and a conducive research environment.

It must ensure that NIPSS produces implementation ready policy papers and that its outputs are fully integrated into national decision making and execution frameworks.”

Shettima applauded the theme of the Senior Executive Course 47, “Blue Economy and Sustainable Development in Nigeria,” saying it is a reflection of the urgency with remarkable clarity, and “captures the reality that development, security, environmental stewardship, and social inclusion are inseparable.”

He added that the strength of the academic work does not depend only on its academic depth, “but in its insistence that policy must be practical, implementable, and firmly grounded in Nigeria’s realities.”

Commending the graduands, the VP said, “We are grateful for your sustained and rigorous enquiries into the affairs of the maritime domain, enquiries that continue to provide the nation with insights it depends upon.

“Your latest research makes it clear that securing Nigeria’s waterways, coastlines, and inland communities goes far beyond safety alone. It speaks to livelihoods, food security, environmental protection, and national cohesion. When young people have productive work, when communities trust the state, and when institutions coordinate effectively, insecurity loses its oxygen.”

Earlier, Governor Mutfwang applauded the federal government’s support to the institute, particularly in facilitating the hitch-free completion of its academic programmes as well as the execution of its other strategic projects and mandate.

Underscoring the importance of academic programmes at the institution, Governor Mutfwang noted that Nigeria stands to benefit immensely from the research output of the institution, particularly in broadening governance perspective and making valuable recommendations in addressing security across the country.

Chairman of the NIPSS Board, Senator Ken Nnamani, said the pathways to addressing some of the nation’s challenges can be found in the research reports of research institutions across the country, urging authorities at the national and subnational levels to adopt products of the institute.