EKSU selected as host institution for national iDICE innovation hub

By Idowu Adebomi, Ado-Ekiti

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has named Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, as one of the host institutions for the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprise (iDICE) hub programme in Nigeria.

The selection was formally communicated in a letter dated 17 June 2025, addressed to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joseph Babatola Ayodele, and signed by the NUC Executive Secretary, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu.

According to a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti by EKSU’s Deputy Registrar and Head of the Directorate of Information and Corporate Affairs, Bode Olofinmuagun, the iDICE initiative is a strategic national programme designed to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital skills development within the country’s higher education sector.

The initiative is jointly funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Bank of Industry (BOI), in partnership with major development agencies including the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

The programme aims to stimulate the growth of job-generating enterprises and equip Nigerian youth with modern skills in technology, creative industries, and innovation. This will be realised through the establishment of digital innovation hubs in selected universities across the country.

The NUC described EKSU’s selection as a recognition of the university’s proven capacity and preparedness to contribute meaningfully to the national digital transformation agenda.

Reacting to the development, EKSU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Babatola Ayodele, expressed his appreciation and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to maintaining its relevance and leadership within the Nigerian higher education landscape.