{"id":120882,"date":"2025-07-22T14:09:19","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T13:09:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=120882"},"modified":"2025-07-22T14:09:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T13:09:19","slug":"undp-partners-tetfund-on-youth-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/undp-partners-tetfund-on-youth-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"UNDP Partners TETFund On Youth Innovation\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>By Lizzy Chirkpi<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is leveraging Nigeria\u2019s ongoing tertiary infrastructure revolution to drive youth-led innovation and unlock new pathways to sustainable development.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>UNDP\u2019s Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Elsie G. Attafuah, made this known during a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in Abuja.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>She commended the Fund\u2019s leadership for prioritizing youth empowerment through visionary programs and infrastructure upgrades in tertiary institutions.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cWe\u2019ve long admired the incredible work TETFund is doing. But beyond admiration, we\u2019re here to collaborate and support Nigeria\u2019s development through the \u2018Nigeria First\u2019 agenda. It\u2019s time to pool resources and co-invest in Nigerian talent,\u201d Attafuah said.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>According to her, UNDP is currently supporting the establishment of innovation hubs in eight Nigerian universities, with completion targeted for September. However, she emphasized that the initiative goes far beyond bricks and mortar.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cThe goal is not just about building hubs\u2014it\u2019s about scaling ideas, de-risking innovation, and opening up access to capital for youth-led ventures. That\u2019s where this partnership becomes transformational,\u201d she noted.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Attafuah further pointed out the importance of value-chain development, technological integration, and structural transformation in realizing Nigeria\u2019s full economic potential.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cNigeria is rich in resources like lithium in Nasarawa, but the value is lost without technology. We want to connect innovation with trade, jobs, and sustainable livelihoods. Our partnership with the University of Lagos to establish the first AI Core in Nigeria is a major step in that direction,\u201d she said.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>She also explained that all resources being deployed by UNDP in this regard are drawn from Nigeria\u2019s own funding within the United Nations system.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cThis is Nigeria\u2019s money working for Nigeria. We welcome co-investment and shared governance of the hubs. We\u2019d also be glad to arrange study tours to other successful models in countries like Uganda and the UAE,\u201d Attafuah stated.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>In his response, TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, expressed strong support for the partnership, describing it as a perfect alignment with the Fund\u2019s ongoing work around innovation, skills development, and economic transformation.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI\u2019m very glad to deepen this relationship. Nigeria has one of the most youthful populations in the world\u2014smart, hardworking, and curious. Innovation comes naturally to our people. What we must do is provide them with the right environment, infrastructure, and platforms to thrive,\u201d Echono said.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>He revealed that TETFund is already supporting over 60 innovation hubs across tertiary institutions, with a goal to expand and synchronize efforts with UNDP-backed centres to enhance national impact.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cWe started with 18 hubs and are scaling to 68 this year. We\u2019re replicating a model in Abuja with Israeli startups and working with institutions to link students to local industries like Panteka in Kaduna and Computer Village in Lagos for hands-on learning. Your eight hubs will blend seamlessly with our network,\u201d he explained.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The TETFund boss also highlighted additional initiatives aimed at strengthening Nigeria\u2019s research and innovation ecosystem.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cWe\u2019ve inaugurated a national committee on commercializing research outputs and are constructing six regional laboratories across Nigeria. Additionally, nine universities will benefit from renewable energy upgrades this year,\u201d Echono disclosed.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The meeting marked a step in a growing partnership that both sides say could serve as a blueprint for leveraging education infrastructure for national development.<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lizzy Chirkpi The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is leveraging Nigeria\u2019s ongoing tertiary infrastructure revolution to drive youth-led innovation and unlock new pathways to sustainable development. UNDP\u2019s Resident Representative&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":120883,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-120882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UNDP Partners TETFund On Youth Innovation\u00a0 - Pointblank News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/undp-partners-tetfund-on-youth-innovation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UNDP Partners TETFund On Youth Innovation\u00a0 - Pointblank News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Lizzy Chirkpi The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is leveraging Nigeria\u2019s ongoing tertiary infrastructure revolution to drive youth-led innovation and unlock new pathways to sustainable development. 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