FG, UNDP to Transform Nigerian Varsities into Innovation, Digital Talent Hubs

• Shettima launches first African university pods at UNILAG Tuesday

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The federal government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are poised to transform Nigerian universities into Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation and digital talent hubs.

That emerged as Vice President Kashim Shettima was scheduled to on Tuesday, April 7, perform the official flag off the first University Innovation Pods (UniPods) in Africa at the University of Lagos.

UniPods, an initiative of UNDP, in partnership with the federal government, 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, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, who disclosed the initiative to newsmen yesterday in Abuja, said UniPods “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”.

Hadejia stated, “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.”

On the benefits of the programme, 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.”

He said the rollout would 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, Hadejia said the interventions under the programme were 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.

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

According to Attafuah, 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, 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 University of Maiduguri – Resilience and Recovery.

Attafuah said the hubs were 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 per cent of whom were under the age of 25—the country held one of the most powerful demographic assets globally.

Attafuah 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.

She stated, “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.”

Attafuah said the interventions 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 appreciation to 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.