VP Shettima Launches Manufacturing Innovation Hub at MOUAU to Boost Technology, Entrepreneurship

Vice President Kashim Shettima has inaugurated the Manufacturing Technology University Innovation Pod (Manu-Tech UniPod) at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, an initiative between the Federal government, UNDP and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to promote technological innovation and entrepreneurship.

Speaking while performing the ceremony at the MOUAU Umudike, Vice President Shettima said that Nigerian universities must become centres of innovation, enterprise and industrialization to accelerate economic growth and achieve the country’s development aspirations.

The Vice President represented by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, noted that the initiative is a specialized innovation and digital manufacturing hub that the initiative reflected President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises education, innovation, industrialization, youth empowerment and economic diversification as pillars for national development.

He said that the Federal Ministry of Education was implementing the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative to strengthen foundational education, technical skills, digitalisation, research, innovation, commercialisation and enterprise development nationwide.

In his speech, the Governor, Dr Alex Otti while saying that the partnership between academia and industry through the Manu-Tech UniPod would redefine manufacturing, innovation and economic development in the state, also noted that the facility would redirect university research towards solving practical problems, creating commercially viable products and attracting greater investment into businesses across the state and region.

The Governor expressed the state government’s support for the initiative as it aligned perfectly with the economic development outline of his administration, adding that the effective utilisation of the Manu-Tech UniPod would shift the challenge from finding markets to expanding production capacity for customers across 54 African countries and beyond.

In her speech, the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Mrs Ahunna Eziakonwa, who noted that the innovation pod represented more than a development project,described the programme as part of UNDP’s Timbuktoo Initiative aimed at mobilising one billion dollars to support 10,000 African start-ups, scale 1,000 businesses and create 10 million decent jobs across the continent.

She urged young Africans to embrace innovation, collaboration and self-reliance as pathways to solving the continent’s development challenges.

Also, the Executive Secretary of TETFund said that the Manu-Tech UniPod forms a key component of the National Innovation and Digital Transformation Partnership Programme, facilitating a partnership between the agency and UNDP, stating that the partnership was designed to transform Nigeria’s tertiary institutions into innovation-driven hubs supporting entrepreneurship, research commercialisation and national development.

He said that the partnership would activate seven new innovation pods and facilitate the establishment of 12 innovation hubs nationwide.

In her remarks, the UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms Elsie Attafuah, said that the initiative focuses on connecting education, research, enterprise and manufacturing to transform talent into industries, competitiveness, employment opportunities and sustainable economic growth.

Attafuah said that plans were underway to expand the UniPods from seven to 21 nationwide, building an innovation ecosystem that would attract investment, nurture entrepreneurs and unlock Nigeria’s comparative economic advantages.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor, MOUAU, Prof. Ursula Akanwa said that the programme would bridge research and enterprise, transforming university ideas into industries, technologies, businesses and jobs, while advancing Nigeria’s innovation, manufacturing and economic competitiveness.

Prof. Akanwa said that the university would leverage the facility to strengthen agro-processing, empower entrepreneurs, modernise manufacturing and ensure research produced practical solutions, creating wealth, employment and globally competitive Nigerian products.