The National Universities Commission (NUC), in collaboration with EyeCity Africa, has called for a bold rethinking of entrepreneurship and innovation within Nigeria’s higher education system, urging institutions to prioritise producing job creators rather than job seekers.
This position emerged from a high-level Stakeholders’ Roundtable on “Rethinking Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Higher Education” held in Abuja, which brought together key agencies including TETFund, the British Council, NBTE, NCCE, UNDP, WIPO, alongside universities and private-sector partners.
Speaking at the event, NUC Executive Secretary, Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu—represented by Director of Research, Innovation and Information Technology, Lawal Mohammed Faruk—said Nigerian higher institutions must urgently embrace a more practical, innovation-driven model that reflects the realities of a dynamic global economy.
He noted that with more than 2,845 higher education institutions nationwide, the country’s development heavily depends on how effectively young people are empowered with relevant skills. Despite existing entrepreneurship courses and curriculum reforms, he said substantial gaps persist, especially in commercialising research outputs, strengthening university–industry collaboration, and building systems that turn academic ideas into viable enterprises.
“Nigeria produces about 700,000 graduates annually, but the formal economy creates far fewer jobs,” he said. “Brilliant research often ends up on shelves and in journals, with limited pathways to transform ideas into new enterprises, technologies, and market opportunities that can address pressing national challenges.”
A preliminary survey by EyeCity Africa revealed widespread deficits in entrepreneurship education, including outdated teaching methods, weak intellectual property structures, and insufficient innovation funding mechanisms.
Stakeholders at the meeting identified weak industry collaboration and limited efforts to commercialise promising research as major setbacks. They emphasised that Nigeria’s youth population—its most valuable asset—must be intentionally empowered through reforms that embed entrepreneurship as a central pillar of higher education.
Key resolutions reached include the establishment of Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs), innovation and IP centres, and the introduction of mandatory entrepreneurship courses from first to final year. Participants also recommended blended learning models co-taught by academics and industry leaders, improved financing through blended funding mechanisms, and robust mentorship systems linking students with successful entrepreneurs.
They further urged universities to deepen partnerships with innovation hubs, strengthen alumni engagement, and adopt outcome-based financing tied to measurable innovation outputs. Regulatory bodies were also advised to link accreditation metrics to the number of innovations generated and jobs created by institutions.
To ensure implementation of these reforms, a multi-stakeholder working group was constituted, comprising representatives from the NUC, EyeCity Africa, British Council, Seed Builders Hub, Nasarawa State University, AUST, Ahmadu Bello University, NCCE, NECA, and the Federal Ministry of Education.
The stakeholders concluded that without a radical shift in how universities approach innovation and entrepreneurship, Nigeria risks missing out on the full potential of its growing youth population and the economic opportunities of the 21st century.