The Vice-President, Mr. Kashim Shettima, on Tuesday inaugurated the University Innovation Pods (UNIPOD) aimed at driving innovation and transforming Nigeria’s research potential into economic output.

UNIPOD, is an initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Shettima said at the launch held at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, that Nigeria had been grappling with the absence of systems capable of converting its abundant talent into tangible productivity.

He was represented at the event by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia.

“We are at a point where the question is no longer whether Nigeria has talent, or is organised and productive, but how to translate this potential into economic output,” he said.

He described the initiative as a shift in repositioning universities from centres of instruction to hubs of production, enterprise and national development.

“The UNIPOD project will integrate talent, research and capital into a functional system capable of generating jobs, strengthening industries and enhancing national competitiveness,” Shettima said.

He noted that the ongoing macroeconomic and structural reforms must be supported by investments in innovation, skills development and productive capacity.

He emphasised the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI), describing it as a transformative force that would shape the future of economies globally.

“We must build digital foundations that allow innovators, governments and enterprises to create solutions that reflect our realities,” he said.

Shettima added that inclusive and value-driven AI systems would unlock new pathways for prosperity across key sectors such as agriculture, health, education and finance.

He commended the partners including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), and the Lagos State Government for supporting the initiative.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Mr Sonny Echono, said the programme marked a turning point in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.

Echono said the partnership with the UNDP was designed to transition the sector from a certificate driven system to an innovation-led ecosystem through the National Innovation and Digital Transformation Partnership Programme.

He disclosed that the initiative would activate seven university innovation pods and one polytechnic pod, alongside 12 innovation hubs nationwide.

“These innovation Pods and Hubs are not just buildings but they are collision spaces where scientists and innovators meet the engineers, where students meet the mentors, and where the raw idea meets the industrial transformation.

“By equipping these hubs to meet global standards, we are creating a pathway towards ensuring that the academic world synergises with the Nigerian consumers,” he said.

Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, described the AI UNIPOD as a transformative platform for research, collaboration and technological advancement.

Ogunsola said the hub would foster interdisciplinary research and equip students with skills required in an AI-driven world.

She noted that the university had already made significant strides in AI research, innovation and startup incubation across sectors such as health, education and agriculture.

According to her, UNIPOD will unify existing innovation efforts within the institution and accelerate the development of homegrown solutions to national challenges.

Ogunsola added that the initiative would address ethical, social and policy issues surrounding AI, while promoting inclusive and context-driven technological development.

She expressed optimism that the project would position Nigeria as a leader in innovation in Africa and globally.

Earlier in her remarks, the Resident Representative of the UNDP in Nigeria, Mrs. Elsie Attafuah, commended Nigeria’s commitment to building a sustainable innovation ecosystem with the launch of the AI UNIPOD initiative.

Attafuah recounted the story of a student innovator to illustrate the potential of the initiative.

“Last week, I was here inside the UNILAG AI UNIPOD that we are flagging off today and I met a young Nigerian whose story has stayed with me.

“Her name is Deborah. She is a student of insurance but more importantly, she is an innovator, because she came not with a complaint, but with an idea,” she said.

According to her, the student, who has a physical disability, developed the concept of a robotic scribe powered by AI to assist with writing examinations.

“And here is what is remarkable, within just five days, working with fellow students in this UNIPOD, a 3D model was already designed, and a prototype is now being built.

“Ladies and gentlemen, that is the future already happening. Not theory. Not aspiration. But young Nigerians are solving real problems with real solutions,” she said.

Attafuah described UNIPOD as more than infrastructure, noting that it was a system that ensured that ideas like Deborah’s do not end as ideas, but became solutions, enterprises, and opportunities.

She noted that the global economy was undergoing rapid transformation driven by AI and digital technologies.

“In such a moment, the real question for any nation is not whether change is coming, but whether it is prepared to shape that change or to be shaped by it,” she said.

The UNDP official commended the leadership of the Vice-President and the Federal Government for driving the initiative under its reform agenda.

She also acknowledged the contributions of key ministries and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in bringing the project to fruition.

According to her, the initiative represents a new development model that is government-led, government-financed and partnership-enabled.

Attafuah disclosed that the system was supported by over N30 billion in public investment and was being deployed across seven universities, with plans to scale to 21 institutions and eventually to over 50 nationwide.

She said UNIPOD would create a pathway linking learning, innovation, enterprise and job creation, ensuring that education contributes directly to productivity.

“What is being built today is, at its core, a system that ensures that Nigeria’s young population is not only prepared for the future but is actively engaged in shaping it,” she said.

Attafuah called on stakeholders, including the private sector, development partners and state governments, to support and scale the initiative.

“This is a significant moment and UNDP is proud to stand with UNILAG, the government, and people of Nigeria as a partner in this journey,” she said.

The event drew stakeholders from government, academia, industry and the diplomatic community, all expressing commitment to advancing Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem for sustainable development.

Also, present at the event was the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaibu Ahmad.(NAN)