#AI Shaped Future
The Official National Launch & Flag-off of AI UniPod, UNILAG, Lagos
Built in Nigeria. Powered from Eko.
This is brought to you by timbuktoo, the Federal Government of Nigeria, UNILAG, and UNDP.
In partnership with Tetfund and Lagos State Government.
#AIUniPod
AI UniPod
The AI UniPod at the University of Lagos is the first Pod within a growing national innovation network that brings together universities, polytechnics, and community-based innovation and entrepreneurship spaces, among others.
Designed as a catalyst for collaboration and cutting-edge development, the AI UniPod serves as a multi-laboratory innovation hub — housing a Design Lab, Virtual Reality Lab, AI & Robotics Lab, and Prototype Lab. Within this dynamic environment, students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry stakeholders come together to ideate, experiment, and build practical, AI-driven solutions tailored to Nigeria’s most pressing development challenges.
By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and providing access to advanced tools and expertise, the AI UniPod is not only nurturing talent but also accelerating innovation that can drive sustainable growth and real-world impact across the country.
Our Hosts
H.E. Senator Kashim Shettima Mustapha, GCON
H.E. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu
Prof. Folasade T. Ogunsola, OON, FAS
ARC. Sonny S.T. Echono, FNIA
Elsie G. Attafuah
Program Overview
The event’s key sessions, activities, and highlights designed to showcase innovation, collaboration, and impact.
- Date: Tuesday, 7 April 2026
Time: 11:00 a.m. WAT
- Venue: J.F Ade Ajayi Auditorium, Unilag, Lagos
Lab Preview
Explore our innovation labs designed to inspire creativity, experimentation, and hands-on learning across design, virtual reality, AI, robotics, and prototyping.
Design spaces
VR Lab
AI & Robotics Lab
Prototyping Lab
Marketplace Showcase
Discover groundbreaking AI solutions transforming climate action, robotics, connectivity, agriculture, education, health, and design.
FAQs
What is a UniPod?
The UniPods represent Nigeria’s most ambitious effort to transform public universities into a national innovation infrastructure system, linking talent, research, enterprise, and financing into a single platform for jobs, industrialisation and competitiveness. Inspired by timbuktoo, the UniPods initiative is a bold investment in Nigeria’s tertiary education. Co-funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and developed in close collaboration with leading public universities. Essentially, UniPods are not traditional hubs embedded in universities, they are a re-imagination of the university itself as a platform.
Why is the AI UniPod Significant?
Nigeria stands at one of the most consequential inflection points in its modern economic history. With a population of over 220 million — more than 60 per cent of whom are under the age of 25 — the country possesses an extraordinary demographic asset. The central question facing Nigeria today is whether that asset becomes the engine of a globally competitive digital and knowledge economy, or whether it remains an unrealized potential. The global economy is being fundamentally restructured by artificial intelligence (AI) , automation, and digital transformation. Countries and economies that build their AI capabilities now — investing in talent pipelines, innovation infrastructure, and domestic technology ecosystems — will define the terms of 21st-century prosperity. Those that do not risk being locked into low-productivity, commodity-dependent growth paths with limited capacity to generate the quality jobs their populations need. Nigeria is not a passive bystander in this transformation. The country already has the largest technology talent base in Africa, a dynamic startup ecosystem, and proven capacity for homegrown digital innovation. What needs to be strengthened is the institutional infrastructure to connect that talent to resources, markets, and sustained government backing at national scale.
Where is it located?
Located at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
What are the features of the AI UniPod?
The AI UniPod Features:
Design spaces, VR Lab, AI & Robotics Lab, Prototyping Lab.
Laboratory | About |
Design spaces Lab | Human-centred design meets digital fabrication. Nigerian designers and engineers creating products and services built for the realities of Nigerian life and markets. Show what is being designed, who is doing the work, and what problems are being solved. |
VR Lab | Immersive technology applications across education, healthcare, infrastructure planning, and skills training. Demonstrate real use cases: what does a VR-based medical training session look like? What infrastructure planning challenge has VR helped solve? |
AI & Robotics Lab | Among Nigeria’s most advanced university-based AI and robotics facilities. Showcase live demonstrations of machine learning, computer vision, and autonomous systems. Include video of students working with robotics equipment and AI tools. |
Prototype lab | Rapid prototyping, 3D printing, and advanced manufacturing capability. Show the journey from software idea to physical product. Include examples of items prototyped and what problems they address. |
How can I Register?
Register Here
Livestream
Yes please register online here;
Partnership
For Partnerships