The Federal Government is targeting the establishment of 41 University Innovation Pods (UniPods) across tertiary institutions to commercialise research, create jobs and attract investment as part of efforts to transition Nigeria from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy.
Maruf Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, said the initiative was aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy by using education, technology, research and innovation to drive economic growth.
Speaking during a meeting with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and seven vice-chancellors on the sustainability of the UNDP Innovation Hubs in Abuja, Alausa said the success of the UniPods would be measured by the economic value and solutions generated rather than the buildings and equipment provided.
He said eight UniPods had either been commissioned or were ready for commissioning, with three already operational at the University of Lagos, Nasarawa State University and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
Other specialised centres include the Blue Economy UniPod in Akwa Ibom, AgroTech at Benue State University, Resilience Tech in Borno State, GovTech at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and Industrial Tech in Plateau State.
The minister said the Federal Ministry of Education, in partnership with UNDP and Tech4Dev, was working towards establishing about 41 UniPods over the coming years.
According to him, the government’s objective is to move university research beyond academic publications and into the marketplace, where innovations can generate businesses, investment and employment.
‘We must move beyond research conducted largely for academic promotion to a system where research is taken from the laboratory to the market and ultimately to real impact,’ Alausa said.
He cited the MineTech UniPod at Nasarawa State University as an example of how university research could generate commercially valuable information.
According to him, researchers at the centre have developed geospatial maps identifying deposits of lithium, gold and bauxite, including information on their locations and depths.
Alausa said such discoveries could create significant economic opportunities if researchers were connected to investors and given clear pathways to commercialise their innovations.
He added that the government had already reduced some of the initial risks by providing infrastructure, equipment and technical capacity, making private-sector investment and commercialisation the next critical steps.
The minister said the innovation centres must not remain permanently dependent on government grants or donor funding but should develop sustainable revenue models that allow them to support their operations, host universities and attract talent.
He explained that the Ministry and UNDP were developing an appropriate governance framework for the UniPods, while eligible centres would be able to establish commercial accounts in line with existing government guidelines for university research centres.
Part of the revenue generated, he said, could be retained by the UniPods to sustain their operations, while another portion could support targeted technological development within their host universities.
The approach is intended to shift the centres from being primarily infrastructure projects to commercially oriented innovation platforms capable of connecting research with industry.
On her part, Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, Minister of State for Education, said the UniPods should be viewed as instruments for accelerating Nigeria’s industrialisation rather than simply as academic facilities.
She urged universities to expose students and researchers to industrialisation and commercialisation so that innovative ideas could be transformed into products, services and businesses.
‘The focus should shift from asking only how much knowledge research would generate to determining how much value and economic opportunity it could create,’ she said.
Ahmad also stressed that the benefits of the UniPods should not be restricted to students and researchers in host institutions.
She said students and researchers from other universities should be able to access the facilities, subject to appropriate procedures, describing the centres as a national opportunity for young Nigerians with innovative ideas.
Elsie Attafuah, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nigeria, commended the education minister for positioning education as a driver of jobs, competitiveness and innovation.
She said the changing global development landscape required countries to build their own wealth and competitiveness, describing the UniPods as potential instruments for advancing Nigeria’s reform agenda and helping citizens realise their economic potential.
Attafuah said UNDP was prepared to support South-South cooperation, including possible collaboration with India, while strengthening the emerging network among the UniPods.
She also said the development agency would support efforts around governance, financing and sustainability of the innovation centres.
Alausa assured that the Ministry would continue working with UNDP, Tech4Dev, universities and other development partners to establish sustainable centres of innovation, enterprise and economic opportunity.
He said effective governance and financing arrangements would be pursued to enable the centres to generate and responsibly manage revenue, attract private investment and support their host institutions.