Vice-President Kashim Shettima plans to launch the first University Innovation Pods in Nigeria at the University of Lagos on April 7, an initiative designed to develop the ideas and skills of young Nigerians into viable enterprises.

UniPod is a UNDP initiative developed in partnership with the federal government to address the disconnect between formal education and the labour market, serving as a bridge between knowledge acquired in universities and its practical application to real social and economic problems.

Deputy chief of staff to the president Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, who announced the initiative at a press conference on Wednesday, said it “is not merely an infrastructure intervention but a deliberate step towards building a coherent national innovation system — one that links talent, research, industry, and investment in a more purposeful manner”.

UNDP Nigeria resident representative Elsie Attafuah said five other institutions will be part of the first cohort: Nasarawa State University, Keffi, focusing on mining technology; the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom, on green and blue economy; Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia, on manufacturing and trade; Benue State University, Makurdi, on agriculture and food systems; and the University of Maiduguri on resilience and recovery.

She described the six institutions as “the first cohort of a national innovation network spanning all geopolitical zones” and noted that with over 60 per cent of Nigeria’s approximately 220 million people under the age of 25, the country holds one of the most coveted demographic assets in the world.

UNDP plans to scale UniPods to over 50 universities nationwide, equip 500,000 learners with AI skills and support up to 2,000 startups.