TETFund and UNDP Forge Partnership to Drive Innovation and Knowledge Economy in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions
TETFund and UNDP Forge Partnership to Drive Innovation and Knowledge Economy in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions
… to ensure that our young people get the right skill set, are expose to the right technologies that will enable them fit into any type of vocation or any type of opportunity on a globe scale. Echono
By Hannatu Lot
In a landmark move poised to revolutionize Nigeria’s tertiary education landscape, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today at the TETFund Headquarters in Abuja.
The partnership aims to transform Nigerian universities and polytechnics into engines of innovation, digital transformation, and economic growth.
The signing ceremony was graced by prominent figures, Arc. Sonny Echono, Executive Secretary of TETFund , Mrs. Elsie Attafuah, Resident Representative of UNDP in Nigeria, and , alongside TETFund’s management teams, and UNDP delegation.
Mrs. Attafuah highlighted the significance of the partnership, describing it as a defining moment for both organizations and for Nigeria’s ambition to become an innovation-driven, knowledge-powered economy.
She praised TETFund’s leadership in strengthening Nigeria’s tertiary education architecture, emphasizing that the MOU focuses on innovation, digital transformation, and a knowledge economy.
The collaboration will see the establishment of “Unipods,” purpose-built innovation engines within universities. These hubs will foster market-ready skills, accelerate pathways to market for innovations, and connect innovators with industry, investors, and national priorities.
Attafuah pointed to successful pilot projects at Nasarawa State University in Keffi, with a focus on mining technology, and the University of Lagos, where an artificial intelligence hub is in operation. The first cohort of these Unipods comprises eight universities and one polytechnic, strategically aligned with regional economic strengths and national priorities.
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Attafuah emphasized the powerful synergy of the partnership, where TETFund brings its nationwide infrastructure and funding platforms, and UNDP contributes its expertise in innovation, digital transformation, and knowledge economy initiatives.
She underscored the commitment of the UNDP to support the initiative alongside the Ministry of Education, the National University Commission, and Nigerian universities and polytechnics to achieve this vision.
In response, Arc. Sonny Echono expressed TETFund’s delight in formalizing the partnership. He emphasized the importance of aligning education with the demands of the modern job market and the need to equip young people with the skills and technologies required to thrive in a globalized world.
Echono revealed that TETFund is already expanding its innovation hub program, tripling its allocations for the next intervention cycle.
” We have tripled our allocation for Innovation hubs next year’s intervention cycle. So we’ll be expanding in various ways on our campuses and to do this, we also need to have a coherent plan.’
‘We need to have a targeted and well-designed program that we will ensure that these facilities once provided are utilized, are integrated into the academic programs of the institutions, and also become Outlets through which the institutions will make themselves more relevant to their immediate communities, by harnessing, all the intellectual and other skills sets that are within their environment and being able to develop them and channel them towards National development.”
He stressed the importance of a well-designed program to ensure effective utilization of these facilities, integrating them into academic programs and fostering engagement with local communities.
He welcomed the UNDP as a worthy partner and assured beneficiary institutions of TETFund’s commitment to empowering them to deliver on this mandate, which aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s transformation agenda for the education sector.
Both leaders expressed their optimism for a robust partnership that will drive Nigeria towards greater innovation and sustainable economic development.
