The University of Lagos recorded major gains in youth empowerment and innovation in 2025, training more than 14,000 young people and supporting 61 startups across different sectors within and beyond the university community.
The disclosure was made during the institution’s 56th convocation ceremony, where the university highlighted the growing role of its innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in equipping students and young people with practical skills, supporting early-stage ventures and strengthening Nigeria’s knowledge economy.
Through its innovation and entrepreneurship platforms, the university provided training to students and youths from surrounding communities, while supporting dozens of startups, some of which attracted external funding. The institution also processed dozens of intellectual property rights, registered new ventures and disbursed over N250 million to support prototype development, underscoring a deliberate push to move ideas from concept to market-ready solutions.
Beyond startup support, the university recorded strong participation in entrepreneurship and skills development programmes, with about 10,000 participants engaged during the year. University officials noted that these outcomes exceeded annual targets and reflect the institution’s expanding national and international relevance in innovation, research and enterprise development.
In research funding, the university attracted grants valued at approximately $17.38 million, equivalent to about N24 billion, over the past year. A significant share of this funding was directed toward health-related research, reinforcing the institution’s position as a leading centre for scientific and medical research in the country.
Academic restructuring also featured prominently in the university’s recent milestones. The number of faculties increased from 12 to 19 following internal approvals to unbundle key disciplines, a move aimed at improving academic focus, governance and curriculum delivery. The expansion spans faculties within the College of Medicine as well as those at the main campus, reflecting broader diversification in academic offerings.
At the convocation ceremony, a total of 3,136 students graduated across several faculties, with strong performances recorded in education, communication and media studies, computing and social sciences. The results highlighted a steady output of high-performing graduates, reinforcing the institution’s contribution to Nigeria’s skilled workforce.
The university also announced plans to confer honorary degrees on two distinguished Nigerians in recognition of their contributions to public service and national development.
For Nigeria’s broader economy, particularly small businesses and startups, the university’s innovation outcomes point to the growing importance of higher institutions as pipelines for entrepreneurial talent, applied research and commercially viable solutions. As access to skills, funding and innovation support remains a challenge for many young entrepreneurs, initiatives of this scale position universities as critical enablers of sustainable enterprise growth and job creation.
