The National Universities Commission (NUC), in partnership with the Universities of Koblenz and Erfurt in Germany, has commenced a four-day workshop aimed at strengthening entrepreneurship, innovation and technology transfer across Nigeria’s public higher institutions.
The TETFund-sponsored programme, which began on June 8 and will run until June 11 at the NUC Auditorium in Abuja, brings together stakeholders from academia, government and international institutions to explore strategies for transforming research outputs into practical solutions and economic opportunities.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, represented by the Director of Research, Innovation and Information Technology, Malam Lawal Faruk, stressed the need for universities to evolve beyond their traditional teaching and research functions.
According to him, higher education institutions must increasingly position themselves as drivers of innovation, enterprise and national development by equipping students with the skills required in a rapidly changing global economy.
He noted that the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) was developed to support this vision by promoting competency-based learning that combines academic knowledge with entrepreneurship, digital literacy, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Ribadu emphasised that the relevance of modern universities will depend largely on their ability to convert ideas into innovations, innovations into businesses and research findings into solutions that address societal challenges.
He called for stronger collaboration among universities, industry players, government agencies and investors to create an enabling environment for innovation and knowledge commercialisation.
The NUC boss also described the partnership with the Universities of Koblenz and Erfurt as a reflection of the growing importance of international cooperation in advancing entrepreneurship and technology transfer within Nigerian universities.
He encouraged participants to actively engage in discussions, exchange ideas and develop practical recommendations capable of strengthening innovation ecosystems across tertiary institutions nationwide.
The workshop features technical sessions on entrepreneurship development, innovation ecosystems, graduate employability, start-up support mechanisms, university-industry partnerships and institutional assessments.
Representatives of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Embassy, and the partner universities also delivered goodwill messages, reaffirming their commitment to supporting innovation-driven reforms in Nigeria’s higher education sector.
The programme is expected to generate actionable strategies that will enhance research commercialisation, improve graduate employability and position universities as key contributors to Nigeria’s knowledge-based economy.
