The Federal Government has launched Nigeria’s first Manu-Tech University Innovation Pod at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, as part of a broader strategy to transform universities into hubs of innovation, manufacturing, entrepreneurship and enterprise development.

The initiative is designed to connect academic research with industry and accelerate economic growth.

Speaking at the launch in Umudike, Abia State, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said universities must move beyond producing graduates and academic publications to becoming centres that create industries, generate jobs and provide practical solutions to national challenges.

He stressed that education must serve as a catalyst for production, innovation and national prosperity, and
explained that the Innovation Pod aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and is the product of collaboration between the Federal Government, the United Nations Development Programme, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, MOUAU and other stakeholders.

“The facility is expected to bring together researchers, students, innovators, manufacturers and investors within a single innovation ecosystem”. the centre integrates emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing systems, agro-processing, industrial automation and entrepreneurship”.

“The facility will support the development of ideas from research and design stages through prototyping, production and eventual commercialisation”.

The Minister noted that the location of the Innovation Pod in Abia State is strategic because of its proximity to the renowned Aba manufacturing cluster, creating opportunities to link local enterprise with university research and investment.

He said the initiative would strengthen local manufacturing, promote value addition, create jobs and improve the competitiveness of Made-in-Nigeria products within the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Alausa also disclosed that the Innovation Pod model will be replicated across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones based on regional economic strengths, reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to building an education system that equips young Nigerians with future-ready skills, supports research commercialisation and contributes to the nation’s goal of becoming a one-trillion-dollar economy.

The Lagos State Government and the Federal Ministry of Works are meeting with key stakeholders today to address flooding concerns along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway corridor.

The meeting, directed by President Bola Tinubu, brings together officials from the Lagos State Government, the National Assembly, the Federal Ministry of Environment and other stakeholders to agree on lasting solutions.

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, says the coastal highway did not cause the flooding. Instead, he says the road’s culverts have improved the flow of stormwater, while existing drainage problems and poor waste disposal remain major causes of flooding in affected communities.

Umahi announced plans to build new drainage channels and service lanes, warning that some buildings will be demolished to make way for the project.

He also ordered stricter enforcement against illegal dumping, street trading and illegal parking along the corridor.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Allwell Heacho Onyesoh, backed the minister’s position, saying experts had shown lawmakers that flooding in Lagos predates the coastal highway.

The Federal Government says the meeting will produce a coordinated plan to improve drainage, protect infrastructure and reduce future flooding.

The Senate on Monday congratulated the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, officers, soldiers and veterans of the Nigerian Army on the occasion of the 2026 Nigerian Army Day Celebration, describing the anniversary as a significant milestone in the country’s military history.

In a statement issued by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua (APC, Katsina Central), said this year’s celebration marks 163 years of the Nigerian Army’s service to the nation

The upper chamber also urged officers and soldiers to remain professional, steadfast and committed to their constitutional responsibilities, assuring them of the Senate’s continued support.

He noted that for more than a century, the Army has remained at the forefront of defending Nigeria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security.

Commenting on the theme of the 2026 celebration, “Protecting the Nation and Serving the People: A Way Forward for the Nigerian Army,” Yar’Adua said it reflects the Army’s constitutional mandate and the importance of strengthening its relationship with the public.