Fostering Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Nigerian Universities

This chapter explores the essential characteristics and features of a university fostering entrepreneurship and innovation within the context of weak infrastructural support and the lack of policy mechanisms. It presents an analysis of institutional ambitions, change measurement, ongoing initiatives, and their sustainability. Our study employed semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions of relevant stakeholders (staff and students) from four major Nigerian universities. Findings were categorised into two main dimensions. First, certain essential elements such as the strength of networks, entrepreneurial culture, and modelling good practices were identified as independent of management, constituting the bedrock of successful university entrepreneurial ecosystems. These elements, fundamental for fostering innovation, are intrinsic components of vibrant entrepreneurial environments within academic institutions. Secondly, the study illuminates features influenced by management, stakeholder engagement, and personalized relationships. These elements, encompassing aspects like infrastructure, funding, quality control management, and state-level policies, act as catalysts for development but are not obligatory. They function as path-dependent variables, leading to varying outputs. Despite their variability, these management-driven factors are indispensable for the evolution and scaling of university entrepreneurial ecosystems, forming the backbone of innovation within higher education institutions in Nigeria.