Vice President Kashim Shettima will on Tuesday, 7 April, inaugurate Nigeria’s first University Innovation Pod (UniPod) at the University of Lagos.
The initiative, developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Federal Government, is intended to bridge the gap between academic learning and the labour market by equipping students and researchers with the tools, mentorship, and financing needed to turn ideas into viable businesses.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, described the UniPod scheme as a “deliberate step towards building a coherent national innovation system, one that links talent, research, industry, and investment in a more purposeful manner.”
Hadejia explained that the first hub at UNILAG will focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI), with additional centres to follow in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Nasarawa, Benue, and Borno States.
UNDP Nigeria Resident Representative, Elsie Attafuah made known that Nigeria is the first African country to scale the UniPod model through direct government investment.
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Attafuah said the rollout positions Nigeria as a continental leader in building a knowledge-driven economy, adding that hubs in areas such as mining technology, agriculture, manufacturing, and resilience are already equipped and ready for activation.
With more than 60 per cent of Nigeria’s population under the age of 25, Attafuah stressed that the programme is designed to harness this demographic advantage.
Under the National Innovation and Digital Transformation Partnership Programme, the UniPods aim to reach over half a million learners with advanced digital and AI skills, support up to 2,000 student-led ventures, and drive large-scale job creation.
The launch at UNILAG will formally kick-start what government officials describe as a national innovation network spanning all six geopolitical zones, and aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to diversify the economy and strengthen human capital development.