The Federal Government has announced plans to introduce the Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Business Incubation Certification (EIBIC) programme in all federal universities by next year.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this at the launch of the EIBIC initiative organised by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) on Friday in Abuja.
“Today, EIBIC is being rolled out in 14 other universities; by next year, all federal universities will be on board, with some federal polytechnics and colleges of education.
“By the end of 2028, all our Federal tertiary institutions will be fully onboarded, and I tell you what we are doing is not abstract at all, it’s carefully connected, ” he said.
Alausa explained that one of the key strengths of the programme is its structured, multi-level design aimed at equipping students with practical entrepreneurial skills from early stages of their academic journey.
“Early exposure at the 100 level to ignite progressive skill development through 200 level and 300 level, full business incubation, mentorship, and venture creation at the final stages,” he said.
According to him, the initiative ensures that entrepreneurship is treated as a practical experience rather than a theoretical subject.
He further described the programme as one that integrates innovation with real-world impact.
“Today, this programme extends far beyond individual students, as outlined in the programme document.
“It reduces youth unemployment, stimulates innovation and productivity, supports creation, enterprise development, and fosters culture, problem-solving, and creativity across the nation,” Alausa added.
The minister also revealed that the government had earlier launched a student venture capital grant scheme in December to support young innovators across institutions.
“This was opened to all institutions across the country, private and public, to help unleash the capacity that is innate in our youths and students.
”We are giving them a N50 million grant to support their ventures to scale up,” he said.
The EIBIC initiative is designed to empower young entrepreneurs, promote innovation, and strengthen the role of education in Nigeria’s economic transformation.
Already, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has implemented the programme for 100- and 200-level students of its Distance Learning Institute for the 2025/2026 academic session.
Meanwhile, the government has shortlisted 65 innovators from over 30,000 applicants under the N50 million Student Venture Capital Grant programme, in a move aimed at boosting student-led enterprises and innovation nationwide.
