NUC Urges universities to embrace entrepreneurship, innovation for economic growth

Education

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, has called on Nigerian universities to embrace academic entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology transfer as critical tools for producing graduates capable of driving the nation’s economic transformation.

Ribadu made the call on Tuesday at the International Conference on Academic Entrepreneurship, Knowledge and Technology Transfer held in Abuja.

The conference, organised by the NUC in collaboration with German universities and development partners, brought together academics, policymakers, researchers, development agencies, and international stakeholders to explore strategies for strengthening innovation and entrepreneurship within higher education institutions.

Represented by the NUC Director of Research, Innovation and Information Technology, Malam Lawal Faruk, Ribadu said universities across the world are increasingly expected to move beyond their traditional teaching and research roles to become centres of enterprise, creativity, innovation, and social transformation.

According to him, the future of higher education depends on its ability to equip students with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving global economy.

He noted that graduates must possess not only academic knowledge but also entrepreneurial, digital, and critical-thinking competencies that enable them to create value and solve societal challenges.

“The future of higher education depends on its ability to prepare graduates for a rapidly changing world through the acquisition of entrepreneurial, digital and critical-thinking skills,” he said.

Ribadu explained that this philosophy informed the development and implementation of the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), which places greater emphasis on learner-centred and competency-based education.

According to him, the framework is designed to equip students with practical skills that enhance employability, adaptability, and innovation.

“The framework seeks to equip students not only with disciplinary knowledge but also with entrepreneurial skills, digital competencies, critical thinking and adaptability required in today’s workplace,” he added.

The NUC boss stressed the importance of stronger collaboration between universities and industry, noting that the relevance of modern universities would increasingly be measured by their ability to convert ideas into innovations and research findings into tangible societal benefits.

He said achieving such outcomes would require robust partnerships among academia, government, industry players, innovators, and development institutions.

Ribadu also called for institutional cultures that encourage creativity, reward innovation, and support the commercialisation of research outcomes.

He noted that the commission’s collaboration with German institutions demonstrates the value of international partnerships in building innovation ecosystems capable of addressing local challenges while enhancing global competitiveness.

Also speaking at the conference, the Programme Officer of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Regional Office in Ghana, Mr Chris Vilas-Mote, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting educational, research, and innovation partnerships between Nigeria and Germany.

He described DAAD as one of the world’s largest scholarship and academic exchange organisations, providing support for university collaborations, research initiatives, and entrepreneurship programmes.

Vilas-Mote highlighted the Falling Walls Lab competition as one of the platforms through which innovative ideas from students and researchers are identified, nurtured, and supported.

According to him, many Nigerian students already possess strong entrepreneurial instincts but require greater institutional backing to transform their ideas into sustainable enterprises.

In his keynote presentation, Prof. Harald Von Korflesch of the University of Koblenz, Germany, advocated a more structured approach to building entrepreneurial universities.

He argued that institutions must move beyond offering entrepreneurship courses and instead integrate entrepreneurial thinking into their entire operational ecosystem.

According to him, this requires professional mentorship programmes, stronger industry partnerships, innovation support systems, and effective technology commercialisation structures.

Von Korflesch noted that while many universities have made progress in entrepreneurship education, more needs to be done to transform research outputs into viable businesses, startups, and commercially successful innovations.

He emphasised the importance of strengthening knowledge and technology transfer mechanisms to ensure that university-based research contributes directly to industrial development, job creation, and national economic growth.

Participants at the conference agreed that fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and stronger university-industry partnerships remains critical to unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s higher education sector and positioning the country for sustainable economic development.