UNDP, TETFund Seal Deal to Transform Nigerian Campuses into Africa’s Innovation Engine
Otamere Gladness 
UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Mrs. Elsie Attafuah, TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono
ABUJA, Nigeria – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that places Nigeria’s higher education system at the heart of Africa’s rapidly evolving innovation and digital economy.
Speaking at the ceremony in Abuja, the UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Mrs. Elsie Attafuah, described the agreement as “a defining moment” in the country’s pursuit of an innovation-driven, knowledge-powered future.
She highlighted some early achievements, including the Emerging Mining Tech Unipod at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, and the Artificial Intelligence Unipod at the University of Lagos — state-of-the-art centres focused on mineral value addition, geoscience innovation, clean energy solutions, AI applications, and next-generation skills development.
“These are not isolated projects,” she said. “They are part of a first cohort of eight university innovation pods and one polytechnic pod, stretching from Borno to Benue, Abia to Akwa Ibom, all aligned with Nigeria’s economic priorities.”
On his part, TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, described the signing as a “momentous day” that aligns with the Fund’s commitment to modernising curriculum delivery and equipping young Nigerians with skills required by tomorrow’s global economy.
Echono noted that with global demographic projections indicating that countries like Nigeria will supply much of the future workforce, it is critical to prepare young people for emerging opportunities. “To fill that gap, we must prepare our youth adequately. That is why we are replicating innovation hubs on our campuses — and now scaling them up significantly,” he said.
“This partnership will make our growth faster, our systems stronger and our institutions more relevant to the communities they serve. It is a critical pillar in delivering on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s transformation agenda for the sector,” he added.
About the Author
Mirian Gom 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Oluwatobi Adu