NUC pushes universities toward entrepreneurship, innovation

The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Professor Abdullahi Ribadu,

The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Professor Abdullahi Ribadu, has called for stronger collaboration between universities, industry, government, and international partners to reposition higher education in Nigeria for innovation, entrepreneurship, and societal impact. Ribadu made the call on Tuesday in Abuja during a welcome address at the International Conference on Academic Entrepreneurship, Knowledge and Technology Transfer in Nigerian Universities. The event brought together participants from universities, research institutions, development agencies, and international partners, including representatives of the University of Koblenz and the University of Erfurt. The Executive Secretary, who was represented by the Director of Research, Information and Technology, Lawal Farouk, said the conference comes at a critical moment for higher education globally and in Nigeria, noting that universities are increasingly expected to move beyond their traditional roles. Ribadu said, “This conference comes at an important time for university education, both internationally and within Nigeria. “Across the world, universities are increasingly being called upon to move beyond their traditional roles of teaching and research and become centres of creativity, enterprise, and societal transformation.” He stressed that the National Universities Commission remains committed to transforming the university system through reforms aimed at producing graduates equipped for a changing world. Ribadu stated, “The National Universities Commission recognises that the future of higher education depends on its ability to prepare graduates for a rapidly changing world.” According to him, this vision informed the development of the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards, which emphasise competency-based and learner-centred education. He said, “The CCMAS framework seeks to equip students not only with disciplinary knowledge, but also with entrepreneurial skills, digital competencies, critical thinking, and the adaptability required in today’s workplace.” Ribadu further noted that universities must increasingly be assessed not only by teaching and research outputs but also by their capacity to translate ideas into innovation and enterprise. “Increasingly, the success of modern universities will not be measured only by the quality of teaching and research. It will also be measured by their ability to convert ideas into innovation, innovation into enterprise, an