Education Minister Announces Rollout Of Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Business Incubation Certification Programme

Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has announced the official rollout of the Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Business Incubation Certification (EIBIC) programme, a landmark initiative designed to equip university students with the skills and support needed to transform ideas into thriving businesses.

The programme, now active in 14 universities nationwide, integrates entrepreneurial training, mentorship, and incubation support directly into academic curricula. According to Dr. Alausa, EIBIC is not “just another course in our universities — we are changing lives and reshaping how students build, innovate, and create.”

A central feature of EIBIC is its strong partnership with the private sector. Industry leaders will provide mentorship, exposure, incubation support, and pathways to funding, ensuring that students gain practical experience alongside academic learning.

At the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the first institution to implement EIBIC, the programme is already showing results. Eight out of ten UNILAG finalists in the Federal Ministry of Education’s Student Venture Capital Grant (SVCG) are EIBIC participants. This outcome demonstrates the envisioned pipeline: EIBIC nurtures ideas, while SVCG provides the capital to scale them.

Dr. Alausa emphasized that the initiative represents a shift from “classrooms to companies, from ideas to impact, and from graduates to job creators.” He noted that Nigeria’s next generation of founders is already emerging, with EIBIC serving as a catalyst for innovation-driven growth.

The launch of EIBIC marks a significant step in aligning Nigeria’s higher education system with the demands of a modern economy, ensuring that students graduate not only with degrees but with the tools to create jobs and drive national development.