History

The National Mathematical Centre Abuja was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria on January 1, 1988 although the decree (Decree No. 40) giving it a legal backing as a corporate body with perpetual succession and a common seal, was not promulgated until December 12, 1989.
The Centre was created to develop appropriate initiatives and resources of international standing for reawakening and sustaining interest in the mathematical sciences at all levels in Nigeria, and also as an adequate response to the dramatic decline in the production of teachers and specialists in the mathematical sciences at all levels.
The annual postgraduate output of mathematical scientists in Nigeria is steadily declining. Furthermore, the number of qualified senior secondary school graduates who apply for admission to read mathematical sciences in universities has drastically diminished. At all levels, the dearth of qualified teachers is a long standing problem which has now become more and more acute especially in the wake of the recent upsurge in student numbers and in the number of educational institutions.
The great concern for this dramatic decline was reflected in the goodwill message of President Ibrahim Babangida on the occasion of the inauguration of the Nigerian chapter of the African Mathematical Union on August 16, 1987, in Lagos. An extract of the message is as follows:
“…Mathematics and the Physical Sciences in general have of late proved to be an area of great hardship. The number of teachers is not rising with the number of students. As a result of this, students seem to be doing less and less well in these subjects.  They consequently tend to lose interest. All these in turn, mean that there will be fewer and fewer teachers. A vicious circle is set up and the prospects of scientific and technological development become dim wherever such a circle is firmly established.”
It was finally created after the collective efforts of many notable Nigerians especially mathematicians and learned societies and some initiatives by Professor Abdus Salam who visited Nigeria to show support for the Centre.
The Centre has the onerous responsibility to contribute to the development of technological awareness at both national and international levels, and also to accelerate the pace of technological advancement by stimulating interest in the study of the mathematical sciences.
The third Director General of the Centre, Professor Sam Ale, OFR, mni was re-appointed in June, 2002.

THE CENTRE

Our Vision

To develop appropriate initiatives and resources of international standing for the re-awakening and sustaining of interest in the mathematical sciences and their applications to life and by so doing produce specialists and teachers in the Mathematical Sciences at all levels of our educational system.

Our Mission

To become a world-class centre of excellence for research and training in the mathematical sciences capable of promoting the development and socio-economic impact of mathematical sciences in Nigeria, as well as using mathematical sciences to solve important scientific and technological problems.

Functions and Powers of the Centre

The functions and powers of the Centre are elaborately defined in the Federal Government of Nigeria Decree No. 40 of 1989, and the Centre is required to:

1. Train and develop high level personnel in Mathematical Sciences including Mathematics, Mathematics Education, Computer Science, Theoretical Physics and Statistics, for Nigerian and African Institutions;
2. Create a resource centre to serve national and international communities as a focal point for advanced research and training in mathematical sciences and applications;
3. Provide an international forum for scientific contacts from all countries of the world;
4. Encourage and support activities leading to the improvement of the teaching and learning and applications of the Mathematical Sciences at all levels;
5. Enhance collaboration among mathematical scientists especially between young Nigeria scientists and other advanced and experienced scientists from within and outside Nigeria;
6. Stimulate enthusiasm for the physical sciences in young Nigerian students and scholars;
7. identify and encourage young talents in the mathematical sciences;
8. attract good mathematical scientists from all over the world into the service of Nigeria;
9. Provide facilities for scientific conferences and the publication of the proceedings arising therefrom;
10. Tackle national set goals in the development of the mathematical sciences.  

In order to achieve the above objectives, the Centre has adopted the following strategies:

• Conducting series of specialized lectures or courses for the purpose of up-grading post-graduate students in the filed of mathematical sciences to a level where they can begin to understand research papers and seminars;
• Conducting seminars, workshops and symposia in such areas as the Academic Board of the Centre may, from time to time, determine or plan;
• Developing appropriate and relevant curriculum materials for schools and teacher education institutions.
• Inculcates mathematics culture in every Nigerian pupil and student.
• Designing and producing appropriate instructional materials for schools.
• Sensitizing policy makers to the importance of mathematical sciences for survival in this technological age so as to formulate and implement adequate programmes for general improvement of the teaching and learning of mathematical sciences in the country.
• Exploring avenues that can stimulate enthusiasm for the physical sciences in young Nigerian students and scholars e.g. by organizing and sponsoring national competitions, quizzes, talent hunts, etc.
• Establish and execute a visiting programme for Mathematical Scientists under which mathematical scientists can visit the Centre for short periods on their individual research problems, using the Library, Computing and other facilities of the Centre.