Moniepoint Launches ₦3 Billion Innovation Hubs to Build Next-Gen Tech Talent at OAU, UNN and ABU
Fintech powerhouse Moniepoint Inc. has announced a ₦3 billion commitment to establish the Moniepoint Innovation Hubs at three of Nigeria’s premier federal universities, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife; the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN); and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, over the next three years.
The initiative was unveiled during a ceremony at OAU and is designed to deepen technology education and expand access to digital skills training across Nigeria. The three institutions were not selected at random. OAU represents the South-West, UNN the South-East, and ABU Zaria the North, a deliberate spread to ensure that access to elite technical training reaches beyond Nigeria’s commercial hubs like Lagos.
Each hub is expected to serve as a centre for hands-on learning in software engineering, artificial intelligence, robotics, product development, design, data science and entrepreneurship. The programme will be open to students across all faculties, offering cohort-based training, mentorship and real-world project execution.
Speaking at the launch, Moniepoint co-founder and Group CEO Tosin Eniolorunda made clear the personal and strategic motivation behind the investment. “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,” he said. “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 also confirmed the company intends to extend the initiative to other tertiary institutions.
The move signals a broader shift by Nigerian technology firms to build talent directly from universities, amid growing demand for software engineers, AI specialists, product designers and data scientists.
Beyond infrastructure funding, Moniepoint said its engineering, product and business teams would support curriculum development, mentorship programmes, internship pathways and expert-led training sessions. Students enrolled in the hubs will work on live projects and gain access to its network of engineers, investors and technology leaders.
The Moniepoint Innovation Hubs also build on earlier investments by the company’s leadership. These include the Tosin Eniolorunda STEM Foundation’s delivery of a ₦100 million CAD/CAM laboratory to OAU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, and the ongoing HatchDev Programme at the University of Lagos, a joint venture led by Moniepoint CTO Felix Ike and NITHub that trains roughly 500 software developers annually.
OAU Vice-Chancellor Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire welcomed the partnership warmly. “This partnership with Moniepoint Group is a powerful affirmation of our belief that knowledge must serve society,” he said.
The initiative represents one of the most significant private-sector investments in Nigerian higher education in recent memory.
