Nigeria’s drive to reposition its universities as catalysts for industrial growth received a boost on Friday with the launch of the Mine-Tech University Innovation Pod, Mine-Tech UniPod, at Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
The Federal Government said the initiative signals the country’s determination to move away from exporting raw minerals toward building a technology-driven mining economy anchored on value addition and industrial innovation.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who spoke at the unveiling ceremony through the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, described the Mine-Tech UniPod as a strategic intervention aimed at linking education, research, enterprise and industrialisation.
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According to him, the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly in the areas of human capital development, innovation and youth empowerment.
Shettima noted that although Nigeria possesses more than 44 commercially viable minerals valued at over $1 trillion, the solid minerals sector has continued to perform below its economic potential.
He said the government was now prioritising industrial processing, local value addition and innovation-led growth rather than dependence on raw material exports.
“The global economy is increasingly being driven by critical minerals needed for electric vehicles, semiconductors, renewable energy systems and advanced manufacturing,” he said.
The Vice President added that Nasarawa State is strategically positioned to benefit from the growing global demand due to its deposits of lithium, tantalite, gemstones and lead-zinc.
According to him, the Mine-Tech UniPod will provide a collaborative platform for students, researchers, mining professionals, investors and environmental experts to develop practical solutions for Nigeria’s mineral economy.
He disclosed that the Federal Government was implementing the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative aimed at strengthening STEMM education, Technical and Vocational Education and Training, TVET, digital literacy, research commercialisation and university-industry partnerships.
Shettima said, about 160,000 youths are currently undergoing training in approximately 1,200 TVET centres across the country, while over one million applications were received shortly after the programme portal reopened.
He added that the government plans to train an additional 100,000 youths in the coming months to prepare them for emerging sectors of the economy.
The Vice President further revealed that seven UniPods focusing on areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Agriculture, Manufacturing and Trade, Industrial Technology, Resilience Technology, Green and Blue Technology, and Mine-Tech Innovation had already been established nationwide.
The Mine-Tech UniPod, powered by the United Nations Development Programme Nigeria, and supported by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, is designed to promote innovation in minerals development.
The facility includes a specialised laboratory, prototyping space and technology transfer office to support students and innovators.
It also houses four specialised laboratories — the Mineral Intelligence Laboratory, Materials and Processing Laboratory, Geo-Spatial Innovation Studio, and Green Mining and ESG Technology Hub.
Governor Abdullahi Sule described the project as a timely intervention that would position the state as a hub for mining innovation and technology-driven industrial development.
He announced that the state government would provide a solar mini-grid to ensure stable electricity supply for the facility.
Sule also urged investors, development partners and private sector operators to leverage the opportunities created by the innovation ecosystem to support research, entrepreneurship, technology transfer and youth employment.
He said Nasarawa’s mineral resources, particularly lithium and other strategic minerals, place the state at the centre of the global transition to clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, disclosed that an additional 20 UniPods would be established across the country before the end of the year to deepen innovation andenterprise development in Nigerian universities.
Other dignitaries at the event includes UNDP Nigeria Resident Representative, Elsie Attafuah; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake; President of the Nigerian Mining and Geo-Science Society, Prof. Olusegun Ige; and Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Hassan Liman, all of whom described the initiative as a major milestone for innovation and industrial development in Nigeria.
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