Jane Salihu
The Federal Government has set a new economic benchmark for its University Innovation Pods (UniPods), insisting that the facilities must move beyond academic research to generate jobs, attract investment and create measurable economic value for Nigeria.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, stated this in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, on Wednesday, after a meeting with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and seven vice chancellors on the UNDP Innovation Hub.
Alausa said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was deploying education, technology, research and innovation as key instruments for transforming Nigeria from a resource-based economy into a knowledge-based economy, with 41 UniPods planned across tertiary institutions.
He stressed that the success of the initiative would not be measured by the number of buildings or equipment installed, but by the solutions, businesses, jobs and investment generated from the research conducted in the centres.
According to him, eight UniPods have either been commissioned or are ready for commissioning, while three are already operational at the University of Lagos, Nasarawa State University and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
He listed other specialised centres as the Blue Economy UniPod in Akwa Ibom, AgroTech in Benue State University, Resilience Tech in Borno State, GovTech at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and Industrial Tech in Plateau State.
The Minister said the initiative was aligned with President Tinubu’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy, noting that Nigeria could not achieve such an objective without harnessing the knowledge, creativity and technological capacity of its universities.
Alausa said the country must move away from a system where research is conducted mainly for academic promotion to one where discoveries are deliberately developed into products, services and businesses.
He cited the MineTech UniPod at Nasarawa State University, where researchers have developed geospatial maps identifying deposits of lithium, gold and bauxite, including information on their locations and depths.
According to him, discoveries of such nature could provide enormous economic opportunities if investors were effectively connected to researchers and given clear pathways to commercialise the innovations.
He explained that government had already reduced the initial risks associated with innovation by providing infrastructure, equipment and technical capacity, making private-sector investment and commercialisation the next critical stage.
Alausa further disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education, in partnership with UNDP and Tech4Dev, was working towards establishing about 41 UniPods over the coming years.
He insisted that the centres must develop sustainable revenue streams and should not remain permanently dependent on grants.
The Minister said appropriate governance and financing structures were being developed by the Ministry and UNDP to ensure that the UniPods operate effectively and sustainably.
He added that eligible centres would be able to establish commercial accounts in line with existing government guidelines for university research centres, allowing part of the revenue generated to be retained for their operations while another portion could support targeted technological development within their host institutions.
The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, said the UniPods should be positioned as instruments for accelerating Nigeria’s industrialisation rather than being viewed merely as academic facilities.
Ahmad said universities needed to shift their focus from asking how much knowledge research would generate to determining how much value and economic opportunity such research could create.
She urged universities to expose students and researchers to industrialisation and commercialisation, so that innovative ideas could be transformed into products, services and businesses capable of contributing to national development.
The Minister of State also stressed the need for wider access to the facilities, saying students and researchers from other universities should be able to use the UniPods, subject to appropriate procedures.
She described the centres as a national opportunity for Nigerian students and researchers with innovative ideas and the capacity to contribute to the country’s development, regardless of their institutions.
Also speaking, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah, commended Alausa for positioning education as a driver of jobs, competitiveness and innovation.
Attafuah said the changing global development landscape required countries to generate their own wealth and competitiveness, describing the UniPods as instruments for advancing Nigeria’s reform agenda, creating jobs and helping citizens realise their potential.
She said UNDP was prepared to facilitate South-South cooperation, including possible engagement with India, while strengthening the emerging network of UniPods and supporting their governance, financing and sustainability.
Alausa assured that the Federal Ministry of Education would continue to work with UNDP, Tech4Dev, universities and other partners to develop the UniPods into sustainable centres of innovation, enterprise and economic opportunity.
He said the ultimate objective was to ensure that investments in education, research and technology translate into practical solutions, viable businesses, jobs and highly skilled young Nigerians capable of driving Nigeria’s transition to a knowledge-based economy.
