Vice President Kashim Shettima has said Nigerian universities must move beyond awarding degrees to becoming centres of innovation, enterprise and industrial development. He made the call during the inauguration of the Manu-Tech UniPod at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), describing the initiative as a major step towards transforming higher education into a driver of economic growth.
Represented by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, the Vice President said the Manu-Tech UniPod aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places education, innovation, industrialisation, youth empowerment and economic diversification at the centre of national development.
According to him, Nigeria can no longer afford to separate education from production, research from enterprise or knowledge from economic prosperity. He said universities must now produce innovators, inventors, entrepreneurs and employers of labour rather than graduates seeking jobs.
The Vice President explained that the innovation hub would integrate artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, agro-processing, industrial automation, digital design and entrepreneurship within a single ecosystem designed to bridge the gap between academic research and industry. He added that the initiative complements ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening STEM education, technical and vocational education, digital transformation, research capacity and innovation.
Shettima also described Aba as one of Africa’s leading manufacturing centres, noting that the project would connect the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem with university research to create opportunities for commercialisation, exports and investment under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He commended Abia State Governor Alex Otti for investments in education, healthcare, security, technology and industrial development.
Governor Alex Otti described the Manu-Tech UniPod as a significant milestone in Abia’s ambition to become Nigeria’s leading innovation and manufacturing hub.
He praised the collaboration between the Federal Government, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), saying the National Innovation and Digital Transformation Partnership Programme would equip about 500,000 students and researchers with entrepreneurial and technological skills.
Otti expressed confidence that the innovation centre would help commercialise university research, strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises, attract investment and accelerate economic growth. He also announced plans to expand the state’s partnership with UNDP through the Jubilee Fellows Programme, the Aba Export Growth Lab, energy investment initiatives and industrial competitiveness programmes.
United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, said the initiative forms part of a continental programme expected to mobilise $1 billion for 10,000 African startups while creating millions of jobs. She encouraged students to think boldly and develop globally competitive innovations, expressing confidence that Africa’s next breakthrough innovation could emerge from Abia State.
UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Elsie Attafuah, said the facility joins the AI UniPod in Lagos and Mine-Tech UniPod in Nasarawa as part of a growing national innovation network. She disclosed that UNDP plans to expand the programme from seven UniPods to more than 50 nationwide.
Vice-Chancellor of MOUAU, Prof. Ursula Akanwa, said universities should be assessed by the industries they create, technologies they commercialise and solutions they provide to society. She explained that agriculture extends beyond farming into manufacturing, logistics and enterprise, adding that the innovation hub would support agro-processing, strengthen local industries, reduce post-harvest losses and empower young innovators.
TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, represented by Dr. Suleiman Zingina, said the UniPod initiative is designed to transform tertiary institutions into innovation-driven engines of economic growth through research commercialisation, entrepreneurship and digital skills development.
The Manu-Tech UniPod, Nigeria’s first manufacturing-focused university innovation centre, was established through a partnership involving the Federal Government, UNDP, TETFund and other strategic partners to strengthen enterprise creation, industrial competitiveness and knowledge-based development.
