The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has become the first of 14 selected Nigerian universities to launch the national implementation of the Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Business Incubation Certification (EIBIC) Programme, an initiative designed to help students transform ideas into viable businesses.
The programme was officially launched on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at the Bank of Industry Hub Building of the Entrepreneurship and Skills Development Centre (ESDC), Faculty of Social Sciences, UNILAG.
The initiative, initially developed at UNILAG, is being adopted by the Federal Government as part of efforts to strengthen entrepreneurship education, promote innovation and equip university students with practical skills to address societal challenges.
Speaking at the event, the Director of ESDC, Professor Oladimeji Odetunde, attributed the programme’s growth to the vision and support of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola.
Odetunde noted that EIBIC had evolved from a university-based initiative into a programme attracting interest from other institutions across Africa.
The National Coordinator of EIBIC, Professor Sunday Adebisi, explained that the programme was designed to move entrepreneurship education beyond conventional skills acquisition by encouraging students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, identify opportunities and turn ideas into practical solutions.
He said the programme was structured as a continuous learning process throughout students’ university education rather than a one-off activity or mere graduation requirement.
Representing the Vice-Chancellor, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Research), Professor Matthew Ilori, said the national adoption of EIBIC reflected UNILAG’s commitment to producing graduates capable of creating value and solving societal problems.
Ilori urged students to identify challenges in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, food processing, technology, finance, education and the environment, and develop innovative solutions that could be tested and transformed into sustainable ventures.
He added that the university’s innovation ecosystem, which includes laboratories, innovation hubs, industry partnerships and other resources, was designed to support emerging entrepreneurs and help promising ideas develop into competitive businesses.
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