Vice President Kashim Shettima is set to launch Africa’s first University Innovation Pods (UNIPOD) at the University of Lagos on Tuesday, in a move aimed at transforming universities into hubs for artificial intelligence (AI) innovation, digital skills, and enterprise development.

The initiative, a collaboration between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is designed to reposition tertiary institutions as engines of economic growth and innovation.

Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja, noting that the programme reflected government’s commitment to aligning education with labour market demands.

He explained that the UNIPOD initiative seeks to address the disconnect between formal education and employability by creating structured platforms within universities where ideas can be developed, tested, financed, and transformed into viable enterprises.

In a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Hadejia said “the UniPods are designed to provide 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 that the programme goes beyond infrastructure, describing it as a strategic effort to build a cohesive national innovation system that links talent, research, industry, and investment.

According to him, the rollout will commence with an Artificial Intelligence Pod at the University of Lagos, with additional pods planned for institutions across Abia, Akwa Ibom, Nasarawa, Benue, and Borno states.

Providing further insight, UNDP Nigeria Resident Representative, Elsie Attafuah, said Nigeria is the first country on the continent to scale the UniPod model through direct government investment.

She noted that the initiative positions Nigeria as a continental leader in building a knowledge-driven economy, adding that the programme will be implemented under the National Innovation and Digital Transformation Partnership Programme (NIDTPP), a joint platform between UNDP and TETFund.

Attafuah disclosed that the innovation hubs are already established and equipped across selected universities, including Nasarawa State University, Keffi (Mining Technology); University of Uyo (Green and Blue Economy); Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (Manufacturing and Trade); Benue State University, Makurdi (Agriculture and Food Systems); and University of Maiduguri (Resilience and Recovery).

She explained that the initiative aims to scale to over 50 universities nationwide, reach more than 500,000 learners with advanced digital and AI skills, and support between 1,500 and 2,000 startups and student-led ventures.

 “With over 220 million people—more than 60 per cent under the age of 25—Nigeria holds one of the most powerful demographic assets globally,” she said, adding that the programme would unlock large-scale job creation and drive enterprise growth.

Attafuah also commended Vice President Shettima for his leadership and commitment to advancing innovation, human capital development, and economic diversification under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.