—As FG, UNDP move to transform Nigerian varsities into AI innovation, digital talent hubs

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — THE Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima will, on Tuesday, April 7, perform the formal flag off the first University Innovation Pods (UNIPOD) in Nigeria at the University of Lagos.

UNIPOD, an initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria, aims to reconfigure Nigeria’s development architecture to transform universities into engines of innovation and enterprise creation, among other objectives.

Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Sen. Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, who disclosed this on Wednesday during a news conference in Abuja, said the UNIPOD initiative “underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning our universities as drivers of economic growth, innovation, and enterprise development, addressing the disconnect between formal education and labour market outcomes.

“The UniPods are designed to address this by providing structured platforms within our universities where ideas can be developed, tested. financed, and translated into viable enterprises for societal impact and economic development,” he added

On the benefits of the programme, Senator Hadejia said the initiative “is not merely an infrastructure intervention but a deliberate step towards building a coherent national innovation system – one that links talent, research, industry, and investment in a more purposeful manner.”

The Deputy Chief of Staff also noted that the rollout will commence with the University of Lagos Artificial Intelligence Pod, with additional UniPods to follow in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Nasarawa, Benue, and Borno States.

On the implementation model, Sen. Hadejia said the interventions under the programme are central to government’s efforts to harness the potential of Nigeria’s youth population by embedding innovation and enterprise within the university environment where students and researchers will have access to the skills, tools, mentorship, and financing required to develop practical solutions and build scalable ventures.

For her part, the UNDP Nigeria Resident Representative, Ms. Elsie Attafuah, said Nigeria is the first country in Africa to take the UniPods model to scale through direct government investment.

According to her, the planned flag-off positions Nigeria as a continental leader in building a knowledge-driven economy.

Giving insight into the national rollout, the UN official said that, aside from UNILAG, a series of UniPod launches will take place across the country, including: Nasarawa State University, Keffi – Mining Technology; University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom – Green and Blue Economy; Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (Abia) – Manufacturing and Trade; Benue State University, Makurdi – Agriculture and Food Systems; and the University of Maiduguri – Resilience and Recovery.

According to her, these hubs are already established, equipped, and ready for activation, with energy solutions, connectivity, and operational teams in place.

“Together, they form the first cohort of a national innovation network spanning all geopolitical zones,” she added.

She explained that, with over 220 million people—more than 60% of whom are under the age of 25—the country holds one of the most powerful demographic assets globally.

She said the UniPods will be fully operationalised under the National Innovation and Digital Transformation Partnership Programme (NIDTPP)—a joint platform between UNDP and TETFund designed, among other interventions, to transform public investments into living innovation ecosystems.

“Through the expanded national investment case, Nigeria aims to scale to over 50 universities nationwide; reach over 500,000 learners with advanced digital and AI skills; support 1,500–2,000 startups and student ventures; and unlock large-scale job creation and enterprise growth.”

These interventions, according to her, will position Nigeria as a hub for digital talent, a leader in AI and innovation ecosystems, and a driver of industrial and economic transformation in Africa.

She expressed deep appreciation to Vice President Shettima for his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to advancing human capital development, innovation, digital transformation, and economic diversification under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Shettima to launch Nigeria's first university pods at UNILAG

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