By Felix Khanoba
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are strengthening their collaboration to expand innovation hubs within universities across Nigeria.
This renewed commitment was underscored during a visit by a UNDP delegation to TETFund’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
Arc. Sonny Echono, Executive Secretary of TETFund, expressed enthusiasm about the synergy between both organisations, noting that UNDP’s focus on innovation, skills training, and structural development aligns well with the Fund’s mission.
“I’m very glad to deepen this relationship. Nigeria has one of the most youthful populations in the world, smart, hardworking, and curious. Innovation comes naturally to our people. What we must do is equip them with the right environment, infrastructure, and platforms to thrive,” Echono stated.
He revealed that TETFund is currently supporting more than 60 innovation hubs in tertiary institutions, with plans to integrate them into UNDP-supported centres to maximize impact.
“We started with 18 and are scaling to 68 this year. We’re replicating a model in Abuja in partnership with Israeli startups, and we’re working with our institutions to integrate local industries, like Panteka in Kaduna and Computer Village in Lagos, for practical training. This aligns perfectly with your eight hubs and allows us to coalesce our efforts.”
Echono added that the collaboration would also target key areas such as commercialization of research, enhanced campus energy infrastructure, and technical skills development. “We have recently set up a national committee on the commercialization of research outputs.
“We’re building six regional laboratories across the geopolitical zones, and we’re investing in energy efficiency in at least nine universities this year alone. These projects are strategic and aligned with global trends, especially in renewable energy and green economy.”
On her part, UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Elsie G. Attafuah, who led the high-level delegation, commended TETFund’s strategic focus and dedication to youth-led innovation.
“We have been admiring from a distance the great work that TETFund has been doing. We are inspired and said this is the place we must be. But beyond admiration, we are here to explore how we can strengthen each other’s hands and invest in Nigeria’s future, especially the ‘Nigeria First’ agenda,” she said.
Attafuah noted that UNDP is already backing innovation centres in eight Nigerian universities, with all expected to be operational by September. “By September, we would have established eight spaces. But the goal is not just to create hubs, it is to co-invest in ideas.
“We must take these ideas to scale. Who will fund these ideas? How do we de-risk innovation and ensure access to capital for youth-led ventures? That’s where this partnership becomes transformative.”
She stressed the need for value-chain enhancement and technology adoption to drive structural change. “Nigeria sits on immense mineral wealth, like lithium in Nasarawa, but without the technology to process, the value slips away.
“We want to work with you to link innovation to trade, to jobs, to sustainable livelihoods. Artificial intelligence, for instance, will define the future. So we’re partnering with the University of Lagos to establish Nigeria’s first AI Core, one of many steps we must take together.”
Attafuah also pointed out that the resources being deployed by the UNDP for these initiatives are fundamentally Nigerian. “The funds used to establish these hubs are federal allocations passed through the UN system.
“So this is Nigeria’s money working for Nigeria. We are open to co-investment and collaborative governance of these hubs. If you have the time, we would love to take you on study tours to other countries where this model is succeeding, from Uganda to the UAE,” she added.
