Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has said President Bola Tinubu is driving a far-reaching transformation of Nigeria’s education sector aimed at repositioning the country from a project-driven economy to a knowledge-based, innovation-led economy.

Speaking with journalists on Friday during the inauguration of the Mine-Tech University Innovation Pod (Mine-Tech UniPod) at Nasarawa State University, Dr Alausa revealed that the project was funded through a $2 million grant from the United Nations Development Programme (INDP), with additional support from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

He revealed that some of the samples were taken from several parts of the country for testing at the laboratory, stressing that “The sample from Niger Delta is more laden with gas than petrol. And the sample here, you have more hydrocarbon as part of it”.

Dr Alausa said President Tinubu was making significant investments in education because he believed the sector remained the foundation of national development, adding that such investments were critical to growing the economy and creating more jobs.

He assured that the government would support the facility to ensure sustainable funding as well as commercialisation of its products.

“We’re also going to also discuss how we can make several of these centers Centres of Excellence. We don’t need to build each of these in each state of the Federation. That’s how we can build capacity,” he said.

He urged youths to embrace innovation, technology and entrepreneurship, noting that the future of the country would depend largely on the ability of young people to develop practical solutions to national challenges.

According to him, the government was committed to creating an enabling environment where students and researchers could translate ideas into commercially viable products and services.

Alausa added that Nigeria possesses enormous mineral and intellectual resources that must be harnessed through science, research and technology-driven education.

He maintained that institutions of higher learning should no longer function only as centres for awarding certificates, but as engines for industrial development, innovation and wealth creation.

The minister also commended the collaboration between the Federal Government, development partners and academic institutions in advancing research and technological development in the country.

He expressed optimism that the Mine-Tech UniPod would serve as a model for similar innovation hubs across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, particularly in sectors critical to economic diversification and national development.

The Guardian reports that the Mine-Tech UniPod is expected to provide researchers, students and entrepreneurs with access to modern laboratories, innovation support systems and opportunities for product development in the mining and technology sectors.

Stakeholders at the event described the initiative as a significant step toward strengthening local capacity in mineral exploration, processing and value addition.