By Our Reporter
ABUJA (CONVERSEER) – Vice President Kashim Shettima will flag off the first University Innovation Pods in Africa at the University of Lagos on Tuesday April, 7 2026.
An initiative of the United Nations Development Programme 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 Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia in a press conference at the Presidential Villa says the UNIPOD initiative underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning Nigerian universities as drivers of economic growth, innovation, and enterprise development, addressing the disconnect between formal education and labour market outcomes.
State House Correspondent Abdurrahman Jibrila Reports that the initiative is not an infrastructure intervention but a deliberate step towards building a coherent national innovation system that links talent, research, industry, and investment in a more purposeful manner.
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, as Nigeria aims to scale to over Fifty universities nationwide; reach over Five hundred thousand learners with advanced digital and AI skills.
