The University of Lagos, Nigeria, has launched an Artificial Intelligence-themed University Innovation Pod (UniPOD), an initiative of the United Nations Development Programme, to close the gap between research and innovation.
According to a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) statement, this innovative platform aims to enable African youth to lead industrial advancement and economic transformation.
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UNILAG VC’s remarks
Professor Folashade Ogunwola, Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), spoke during the launch and emphasised the value of innovation and design thinking.
Thirteen UniPODs are being established throughout Africa, focusing on themes like Greentech, agritech, health tech, and more.
Unlocking the potential of African youth and promoting sustainable development goals, the UniPOD offers a conducive environment for creative business.
According to Ogunwola, the goal of UniPOD is to promote creativity and design thinking among university students.
“The multi-pronged project focuses on building an African youth innovation and start-up ecosystem by supporting and growing innovative, scalable, and impactful entrepreneurship by African youth while relying on a springboard of partners who together will contribute meaningfully.”
“A community of dreamers, thinkers, and doers is united by a common passion: the pursuit of groundbreaking ideas and the relentless drive to turn them into reality,” the speaker continued, describing the UniPOD as a “living and breathing hub.”
“Nigeria will always be the first in innovation and the anchor in economic transformation in Africa,” Prof. Ogunwola said in her concluding remarks.
UNDP’s official statement
To achieve economic change, Ahunna Eziakonwa, the United Nations’s Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP’s Assistant Administrator, and Regional Director for Africa, stressed the importance of investing in technology and the creative industries.
Eziakonwa states, “We must invest in the creative industry, in the advancement of fashion, music, film, and creative entertainment in general, as well as technology, thereby turning the wheel as an anchor in economic transformation.”
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About UNDP
Working in almost 170 nations and territories, the UNDP contributes to the elimination of poverty as well as the decrease of inequality and marginalisation. To maintain development outcomes, they assist nations in creating policies, institutional capacities, leadership qualities, and resilience building.
Under the UNDP’s UniPod programme, students can receive mentoring, training, and creativity possibilities.
The initiatives aim to improve ideas, create solutions, and cultivate skills that will enable students from low-income homes to fabricate, prototype, and grow their ideas into profitable ventures.