The Federal Government of Nigeria on Friday launched the Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Business Incubation Certification (EIBIC) programme, targeting 14 universities in its first phase.
The programme was launched by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Olatunji Alausa, at the TETFund Auditorium, Abuja, with the theme, “Driving Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Building the Next Generation of Leaders.”
The EIBIC initiative is designed to embed entrepreneurship education into the academic experience of students, equipping them with innovative thinking and practical skills required to drive productivity and economic growth.
What the Minister is saying
Speaking at the launch event attended by Nairametrics, the minister explained that EIBIC is timely and necessary, as the programme is designed to embed entrepreneurship across all disciplines—whether in engineering, medicine, law, the sciences, or the creative arts.
He added that the programme will enable all Nigerian students of interest to convert their knowledge, talents, and passions into viable enterprises.
According to him, the initiative aligns with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to build a resilient, knowledge-driven, and innovation-led economy.
- “Within the Federal Ministry of Education, this also fits squarely into our broader reform framework under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), leveraging education as a driver of economic growth.
- “EIBIC is therefore not a standalone programme—it is a strategic national intervention,” he added.
The minister also called on Vice-Chancellors and university administrators to fully integrate and institutionalise the programme.
He urged:
- Faculty members to embrace this shift and mentor students beyond the classroom;
- Industry partners and investors to collaborate actively in supporting student ventures; and
- Students to seize this opportunity with seriousness, creativity, and determination.
He noted that the programme requires a whole-of-society approach.
Benefiting universities from the country’s geopolitical zones in this first phase, as announced at the event, are:
- Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto
- University of Benin, Benin City
- University of Lagos
- Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
- University of Jos, Jos
- Bayero University, Kano
- University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt
- Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife
- University of Ibadan
- University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri
- Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi
- University of Nigeria, Nsukka
- Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
- University of Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
He commended all stakeholders—universities, the National Universities Commission, TETFund, the academic community, industry partners, and particularly Professor Sunday Adebisi and his team—for conceptualising and driving the initiative.
Backstory
The development is linked to Sahara Group, one of the partners of the EIBIC programme, which awarded $12,000 each to three UNILAG academics driving impactful projects in youth entrepreneurship, digital skills development, and institutional governance.
The awardees—Professor Sunday Adebisi, Dr Victor Odumuyiwa, and Professor AbdulHameed Sulaimon—were mandated to scale successful programmes that have already trained over 20,000 youths in advanced AI and digital capacity building, while also strengthening faculty administration systems.
Professor Sunday Adebisi, a pioneering force in entrepreneurship education, was identified to scale his groundbreaking EIBIC programme concept at the time.
What you should know
The development comes days after the Federal Ministry of Education shortlisted 65 student innovators from a total of 30,639 applicants across 404 tertiary institutions for the final stage of the Student Venture Capital Grant (S-VCG).
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education.
The initiative adds to a growing list of flagship programmes of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu aimed at supporting student-led ventures and strengthening Nigeria’s innovation-driven economy.
I am extremely excited to see this kind of innovative project. Though starting decades behind its time it’s better late than never. I wish I had this opportunity when I was in the university. I suggest the followings: 1). It should be a compulsory subject/course that all students must offer 2). All Nigerian universities should teach it 3). The polytechnics should also teach it.4).The training should actually begin from elementary school so children are used to it when they grow older. 5). Ensure the project is legislated, not just a policy, so it is not abandoned midway through. 6).It should be well funded but shielded from corruption.
Finally, if people have been trained in entrepreneurship we would have been one of the strongest world powers today. Big kudos to the FGN, President Tinubu and of course his creative team.