The United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding that places Nigeria’s higher education system at the heart of Africa’s rapidly growing innovation and digital economy.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Abuja, the UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah, described the partnership as “a defining moment” in Nigeria’s journey toward building an innovation-driven and knowledge-powered economy.
She explained that the MoU followed months of joint consultation and co-creation, resulting in a National Innovation and Digital Transformation Partnership Programme aimed at repositioning universities and polytechnics as drivers of inclusive growth and regional competitiveness.
TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, said the agreement aligns with the Fund’s commitment to overhaul curriculum delivery and equip young Nigerians with the skills needed for the future global economy.
Echono expressed confidence that partnering with UNDP an organisation with global expertise and credibility will accelerate learning, strengthen programme design, and expand the reach of innovation hubs across tertiary institutions.
Under the partnership, UNDP and TETFund plan to activate eight University Innovation Pods and one Polytechnic Pod, upgrade at least nine existing TETFund funded innovation facilities, establish or strengthen up to twenty Technology Transfer Offices, equip more than 500,000 students and researchers with digital and innovation skills, and support as many as 2,000 university linked startups while commercialising 5,000 research outputs.
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