Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike ( MOUAU) Abia state and United Nations Development Programme ( UNDP ) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding ( MOU ) enabling the establishment and operation of Innovation Pod ( Center/Hub ) in the university.
The Pod also tagged UniPod, is to provide the university students and Youths outside the university with Makers’-Space that offer service to both engineering and creative design projects, with a standard set of equipment.
” The purpose of this MOU is to provide a framework for the non-exclusive cooperation, facilitate and strengthen collaboration between the Parties in the areas of cooperation identified in the MOU.
These areas include ; design Laboratories that offer a host of programs that would enable and support students to think and apply design principles toward solving any problem they are tackling;
Another area , which is a Collaborative Working Space, is to enable the development of business ideas and host product demonstration, training events, speaker talks, community and collaboration-building events including a Knowledge Transfer Office that would play the role of bringing research developments to the market, and bridging research with industry.
The Representatives of UNDP and MOUAU who signed the MOU spoke thereafter, corroborating each other on the UniPod/Hub desirability and import.
Elsie Attafua who is the UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria said that the project/facility has become imperative to meet the demand of the ever- changing world and need to invest for now and for the future.
She said that there were plans to establish same in all the states but that the project should not be seen as that of UNDP but one where ideas can be turned into prototypes, the prototypes into businesses and businesses into industries.
The elated VC, Professor Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, who said that the Unipod/Hub) is in line with his vision to position MOUAU as an entrepreneurial institution with the necessary facilities in place and that it also provides the facility to define and conceive what are possible for actualization , added that activating the MOU would advance development and working with students and communities where ideas can be turned into realities.
State Commissioner for Culture and Creative Economy Dr Matthew Ekwuruibe, expressed the state government’s appreciation to the UNDP for extending the Pod/Hub project to Abia state and to the university predicting that it would bring digitalization to the doorsteps to Abia state.
He assured that the Facility will be properly maintained and used in accordance with the terms and commended the University for accepting and embracing the generous offer
The Director of the MOUAU/UNDP UniPod/Hub, Professor Lawrence Oborkhale said that Innovative Hubs
” act as catalysts for collaboration and growth, benefiting a wide range of stakeholders while fostering an ecosystem of creativity and progress”.
According to him, their main objective is to transform public universities into spaces for innovation, experimentation, and accelerated learning adding ” UniPod embodies a commitment to harness the vast potential of African youth, nurturing them as problem-solvers, innovators and entrepreneurs”. END
