Less than 10 percent of universities in Northern Nigeria offer courses on financial technology and blockchain, a situation that experts say has left the region lagging behind in technological innovation.

This was disclosed by Sani Sa’id Muhammad, coordinating officer of a training and representative of the Executive Director of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), during the closing ceremony of a three-day workshop on Fintech and Blockchain Technology for staff of Khalifa Isyaka Rabiu University (KHAIRUN) held on Thursday in Kano.

Muhammad explained that the workshop was organized to address the gap by exposing academic and non-academic staff to the opportunities that emerging technologies bring to education and administration.

According to him, while Lagos State is already being described as the innovation capital of Africa, universities in northern Nigeria still struggle to incorporate such courses in their curricula.

“Our research shows that less than 10 percent of universities in northern Nigeria offer courses in financial technology and blockchain. These trainings are the order of the day, the emerging knowledge that our students need to embrace,” he said.

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He added that the initiative was brought to KHAIRUN to give staff the opportunity to not only learn but also pass down the knowledge to students.

“We brought this expensive training to their doorstep so they can step it down to students and staff, and see how it can be incorporated into the curriculum to boost learning, teaching, and innovation across northern Nigeria and Africa in general,” Muhammad explained.

The three-day workshop covered a range of topics, including blockchain applications, cryptocurrency, financial technology, and how these tools can be applied in academia.

Participants were shown how blockchain can be used to manage student records, conduct assessments, and track academic progress in a more transparent and efficient manner.

One of the facilitators, Yusuf Babagana, a data analyst from CITAD, noted that the training was designed to make staff understand the global relevance of these technologies.

“We have full confidence that staff will grasp the trends in technology and apply them in academia. This will enable students to not only understand blockchain but also use it in practical areas beyond the classroom,” he said.

SolaceBase reports that some of the participants expressed excitement about the opportunities the workshop opened up.

Aliyu Ishaq Abdullahi, head of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and General Studies at KHAIRUN, described the training as a revelation.

He explained that blockchain technology, particularly Web3, has potential applications not only in financial transactions but also in academic processes.

“We learned that blockchain can be used to facilitate transactions and even manage student records and exams, which can transform how we run our institutions,” he said.

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Similarly, Dr. Sadik Bashir Babagana, Director of the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and coordinator of the workshop, said the program shed light on the broader meaning of blockchain technology.

“When people hear blockchain, they often think about physical structures, but here we are talking about financial technology, digital markets, cryptocurrencies, and how modern business is being conducted in the 21st century,” he explained.

Another participant, Khadi Sani Auta, said the workshop had been an invaluable experience, saying, “Attending this three-day training was a wonderful opportunity.

“I learned how to integrate payment gateways and applications not only in finance but also in agriculture, healthcare systems, and other sectors,” she said.

The workshop is the third organized by CITAD in northern Nigeria, following earlier sessions at Bayero University Kano and Baba Ahmed University.

According to CITAD, plans are underway to expand the training to other institutions, including universities in Kaduna State and Ile-Ife, as part of efforts to bridge the technological divide between northern and southern Nigeria.

By introducing fintech and blockchain into higher education, CITAD hopes to prepare a new generation of students and staff in the region to participate fully in the digital economy, reducing the gap and driving innovation across Nigeria.