Vice President Kashim Shettima will on Tuesday inaugurate Africa’s first University Innovation Pods (UNIPOD) at University of Lagos, an initiative designed to transform universities into centres for artificial intelligence (AI) innovation, digital skills development, and enterprise creation.
The project is a partnership between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the United Nations Development Programme, and is aimed at repositioning tertiary institutions as drivers of economic growth and technological advancement.
Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja, stating that the programme reflects the government’s commitment to aligning education with the demands of the labour market.
He explained that the UNIPOD initiative is intended to bridge the gap between formal education and employability by creating structured platforms within universities where innovative ideas can be developed, tested, funded, and transformed into sustainable businesses.
In a statement released by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Hadejia said the pods would provide enabling environments within universities where creative ideas can evolve into enterprises capable of delivering societal and economic value.
According to him, the initiative goes beyond building infrastructure and represents a strategic effort to establish a coordinated national innovation ecosystem that connects talent, academic research, industry players, and investors.
He revealed that the rollout will begin with an Artificial Intelligence Pod at the University of Lagos, while additional pods will be established in institutions across Abia, Akwa Ibom, Nasarawa, Benue, and Borno states.
Providing further details, the Resident Representative of United Nations Development Programme in Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah, stated that Nigeria is the first country in Africa to implement the UniPod model on a large scale through direct government funding.
She said the initiative positions Nigeria as a leader in the continent’s transition toward a knowledge-based economy and noted that the programme will operate under the National Innovation and Digital Transformation Partnership Programme, a collaborative platform between UNDP and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
Attafuah disclosed that innovation hubs have already been set up and equipped in several universities, including Nasarawa State University focusing on mining technology; University of Uyo concentrating on the green and blue economy; Michael Okpara University of Agriculture for manufacturing and trade; Benue State University focusing on agriculture and food systems; and University of Maiduguri specialising in resilience and recovery.
She added that the initiative aims to expand to more than 50 universities across the country, equip over 500,000 learners with advanced digital and AI skills, and support between 1,500 and 2,000 startups as well as student-led ventures.
Highlighting Nigeria’s demographic advantage, Attafuah noted that with a population exceeding 220 million people—more than 60 per cent of whom are under the age of 25—the country possesses one of the world’s most significant youth populations.
She said the programme has the potential to unlock large-scale job opportunities and stimulate entrepreneurial growth.
Attafuah also praised Vice President Kashim Shettima for his leadership in promoting innovation, strengthening human capital development, and advancing economic diversification under the Renewed Hope Agenda of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
