Moniepoint has announced a ₦3 billion commitment to establish three technology Innovation Hubs across major federal universities in Nigeria, marking one of the most ambitious private sector investments in higher education and digital talent development in the country in recent years.
The financial ecosystem platform disclosed that the Moniepoint Innovation Hubs will be built at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) over the next three years as part of a broader effort to strengthen Nigeria’s technology talent pipeline and expand access to practical innovation training beyond major commercial cities.
According to the company, the three universities were selected strategically to ensure regional spread and national impact, reflecting a deliberate move to decentralise opportunities within Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
The hubs will function as permanent centres for hands-on learning in software engineering, data science, artificial intelligence, robotics, design, product development and entrepreneurship. Moniepoint said the programme will be open to students across all faculties, with participants expected to move through structured cohort-based training, mentorship programmes and real-world project execution designed to prepare them for careers within the technology ecosystem.
The initiative was formally unveiled at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, during a ceremony attended by the Vice-Chancellors of the three universities, technology leaders, academic stakeholders, student representatives, alumni and members of Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.
Speaking during the announcement, Moniepoint Group co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Tosin Eniolorunda, said the initiative was inspired by the role Nigerian universities played in shaping the company’s founders and the need to build stronger local talent capacity for the country’s digital future.
“When you look at the success of companies like Moniepoint, it’s easy to forget that it all started with the foundational training we received right here in Nigerian universities,” Eniolorunda said.
“This initiative is about paying that trust forward. Nigeria’s digital economy cannot run on potential alone; it requires immense, localized talent density. By launching these Innovation Hubs beginning with OAU, UNN and ABU Zaria, we are intentionally anchoring world-class technical skills across the country.”
He added that the company sees the investment as the beginning of a wider expansion into other tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
“And this is just the first step as we look across other tertiary institutions. Before we built anything, universities like UNILAG and OAU built people like Felix and I, giving us our first formal training in the disciplines that became our careers,” he said.
Eniolorunda further stressed that Nigeria’s technology ecosystem would struggle to scale sustainably without consistent investment in locally trained and industry-ready talent.
“Nigeria’s future will to a very large extent be built by Nigerians trained in Nigerian institutions. These three Hubs are my contribution to making that future credible by creating a solid pipeline for the emergence of great products and ideas,” he stated.
“To truly scale our digital economy, we need high-density, industry-ready tech talent as a bulwark. We are investing these billions of naira to ensure our tech ecosystem is powered by sustainable, homegrown excellence.”
The Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, described the partnership as an important development for students and the broader Nigerian education system.
“Obafemi Awolowo University has always stood for excellence, and for the belief that knowledge must serve society. This partnership with Moniepoint Group is a powerful affirmation of that conviction,” Bamire said.
“The Moniepoint Innovation Hub will not only expand what our students can learn but also transform what they believe is possible. We are grateful to Moniepoint for choosing to root this investment in our institutions, and we are committed to ensuring that every naira translates into opportunity for our students and for Nigeria.”
Beyond funding the physical hubs, Moniepoint said it will also provide industry expertise through curriculum support, mentorship programmes, internship pathways and expert-led training sessions. The company’s engineering, product and business teams are expected to work directly with the universities to ensure students receive training aligned with the realities of Africa’s modern technology ecosystem.
According to the company, the hubs are not intended to operate as conventional lecture centres but as practical launchpads where students can build products, collaborate on live projects and gain direct access to engineers, investors and industry leaders within Moniepoint’s network.
The company noted that the broader objective is to develop a stronger generation of Nigerian innovators, founders and problem-solvers capable of building solutions for Africa’s digital economy.
The event also attracted several senior academic and corporate figures including Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics, Professor G.A Aderounmu, Dean of the Faculty of Technology, OAU, Professor L.E Umoru, Dean of the Faculty of Science, OAU, Professor O.A Adesina, DVC Academic of UNN, Professor Kamoru O Usman, DVC Advancement, Research and Innovation, ABU, Professor Aliyu Sanusi, as well as Moniepoint executives including VP, People Operations, Chinaza Nduka-Dike and SVP, Enterprise Network Sales, Ifeanyi Duru.
The Innovation Hubs project also builds on previous education-focused interventions linked to Moniepoint’s founders. These include the CAD/CAM laboratory established at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, OAU, through the Tosin Eniolorunda STEM Foundation, reportedly valued at over ₦100 million.
It also extends the impact of the HatchDev Programme at the University of Lagos championed by Moniepoint co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Felix Ike, in partnership with NiITHub innovation centre, where about 500 young developers are trained annually.
For Moniepoint, the new university innovation hubs represent more than a corporate social investment. The company believes Africa’s long-term economic growth will depend not only on financial infrastructure but also on the strength of the institutions, technical talent and innovation pipelines powering the continent’s future.
