Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for a fundamental transformation of Nigeria’s higher education system, saying universities must move beyond awarding degrees to becoming major drivers of innovation, industrialisation and economic growth.
The Vice President made the call during the inauguration of the Manu-Tech UniPod at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) in Abia State. Represented by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, Shettima described the innovation centre as the beginning of a national movement aimed at repositioning Nigerian universities as catalysts for industrial development.
According to him, the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises education, technological innovation, industrialisation, youth empowerment and economic diversification as key pillars for national development.
Universities must produce innovators, not just graduates
Shettima stressed that Nigeria can no longer afford to separate education from production, research from enterprise or knowledge from economic prosperity.
He said universities of the future should focus on producing innovators, inventors, entrepreneurs and employers of labour rather than graduates seeking jobs.
According to him, the newly inaugurated Manu-Tech UniPod is designed to bridge the long-standing gap between academic research and industrial application by bringing together artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, agro-processing, digital design, industrial automation and entrepreneurship under one innovation ecosystem.
He noted that the project complements ongoing reforms by the Federal Government to strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, technical and vocational training, digital transformation, research capacity and innovation.
The Vice President also highlighted Aba’s reputation as one of Africa’s foremost manufacturing hubs, saying the innovation centre would connect the city’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem with cutting-edge university research to unlock opportunities for commercialisation, investment and exports under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Shettima commended Abia State Governor Alex Otti for prioritising education, healthcare, technology, security and industrial development.
“The launch of this Manu-Tech Innovation Pod is not the end of a project; it is the beginning of a national movement where education powers industry, innovation drives prosperity and knowledge transforms our nation,” he said.
Otti says UniPod supports Abia’s industrial vision
Governor Alex Otti described the Manu-Tech UniPod as a significant milestone in Abia State’s ambition to become Nigeria’s foremost centre for innovation, manufacturing and enterprise.
He praised the collaboration between the Federal Government, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), saying strategic partnerships remain essential for sustainable development.
According to the governor, the National Innovation and Digital Transformation Partnership Programme is expected to equip about 500,000 students and researchers with technological and entrepreneurial skills that will enable them to convert research findings into commercially viable products and services.
Otti expressed confidence that the innovation hub would redirect academic research towards solving practical industrial challenges, strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises, improve investor confidence and stimulate economic growth.
He added that the facility aligns with his administration’s economic development blueprint and complements ongoing investments in infrastructure, security and human capital development.
The governor also announced plans to expand collaboration with the UNDP through initiatives such as the Jubilee Fellows Programme, the Aba Export Growth Lab, energy investment projects and industrial competitiveness programmes.
Declaring that “the hour of big dreams and great ambitions has arrived,” Otti urged students, researchers and entrepreneurs to maximise the opportunities provided by the innovation hub to build globally competitive businesses.
UN: Africa’s next global innovation could emerge from Abia
United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, described Abia as a rapidly emerging innovation destination capable of shaping Africa’s future.
She explained that the Manu-Tech UniPod forms part of a broader initiative aimed at mobilising one billion dollars to support 10,000 African startups, scale at least 1,000 high-growth businesses and create millions of jobs across the continent.
“Africa will not wait for the world to develop it; Africa will develop itself,” she declared.
Eziakonwa paid tribute to the late Dr. Michael Okpara for laying the foundation for industrial development in the old Eastern Region and praised Governor Otti for creating an enabling environment for innovation through investments in education, infrastructure, healthcare, security and workers’ welfare.
She encouraged students to think boldly, collaborate effectively and create solutions capable of transforming the continent, expressing confidence that the next globally significant innovation could emerge from Abia State.
UNDP seeks nationwide innovation ecosystem
UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Elsie G. Attafuah, described the facility as another major step towards positioning Abia as Nigeria’s leading innovation-driven industrial state.
She explained that the Umudike facility joins the AI UniPod at the University of Lagos and the Mine-Tech UniPod at Nasarawa State University as part of a growing national innovation ecosystem.
According to Attafuah, the initiative aims to transform talent into enterprise, enterprise into industry and industry into national competitiveness.
She noted that Aba’s long-standing entrepreneurial culture and manufacturing heritage made Abia the ideal location for Nigeria’s first manufacturing-focused UniPod.
Attafuah disclosed that the UNDP is finalising a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Ministry of Education to transform universities across Nigeria into centres of innovation and enterprise.
She added that the organisation plans to expand the UniPod network from the current seven centres to more than 50 nationwide.
“The UniPod must become a place where ideas are incubated, technologies are prototyped, startups are accelerated, intellectual property is protected, businesses are created and partnerships with industry are forged,” she said.
Universities should create industries, says MOUAU Vice-Chancellor
Vice-Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Prof. Ursula Akanwa, said universities should no longer be measured solely by the number of graduates they produce or research papers they publish.
Instead, she argued, institutions should be evaluated based on the industries they create, technologies they commercialise and practical solutions they provide to society.
She described the Manu-Tech UniPod as a bridge connecting research with manufacturing and knowledge with enterprise.
According to her, agriculture extends beyond farming into processing, logistics, manufacturing, marketing and business development, stressing that research must leave laboratories and generate wealth within communities.
Akanwa pledged that the innovation hub would promote agro-processing, reduce post-harvest losses, strengthen the leather and textile industries, support small businesses and empower young innovators and women.
She added that the true success of the facility would be measured by the technologies commercialised, businesses established, partnerships created, jobs generated and lives transformed.
TETFund: Innovation hubs will strengthen Nigeria’s knowledge economy
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, represented by Dr. Suleiman Zingina, said the UniPod initiative was designed to transform tertiary institutions from certificate-awarding centres into innovation-driven engines of economic development.
He explained that the programme seeks to accelerate research commercialisation, entrepreneurship, digital human capital development and Nigeria’s transition to a knowledge-based economy.
According to him, seven University Innovation Pods and one Innovation Hub are already operational across the country, while 12 additional innovation hubs are expected before the end of the year.
He said the facilities would provide students and researchers with mentorship, collaboration opportunities and world-class infrastructure needed to transform innovative ideas into market-ready products.
The Manu-Tech UniPod is Nigeria’s first manufacturing-focused University Innovation Pod established under the National Innovation and Digital Transformation Partnership Programme, a partnership involving the Federal Government, UNDP, TETFund and other strategic stakeholders aimed at transforming Nigerian universities into centres of innovation, enterprise creation and industrial competitiveness.
The inauguration attracted members of the Abia State Executive Council, university administrators, education stakeholders and other dignitaries from across the country.
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