Programmes & Past Events — ARUA CoE-USD | University of Lagos

Programmes &
Past Events

From campus innovation challenges to international conferences spanning five continents — our programmes are reshaping how Africa tackles youth unemployment.

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Programmes & Events

International Conferences

YoBIC Editions

Lufthansa Partnerships

Flagship Programme

Youth Business & Innovation Challenge (YoBIC)

💡 Student Entrepreneurship · 3 Editions

YoBIC is ARUA-USD's flagship student entrepreneurship programme — designed to identify, nurture, and accelerate the best business ideas emerging from African university campuses. Teams of undergraduate students compete to turn ideas into viable business ventures, receiving mentorship, funding support, and incubation opportunities.

What started as a Nigeria-only competition in 2020 expanded to Ghana by edition 3 in 2022, reflecting the CoE's Pan-African ambitions. YoBIC directly embodies the ARUA-USD mission of turning African youth from job-seekers into job-creators.

1.0

YoBIC 2020

Nigeria only
University of Lagos
December 2020

2.0

YoBIC 2021

Nigeria only
Expanded cohort
2021

3.0

YoBIC 2022

Nigeria & Ghana
Pan-African expansion
2022

YoBIC 1.0 — Youth Business and Innovation Challenge 2020

Lufthansa Design Thinking 2017 — University of Lagos

Lufthansa Design Thinking 2018 — University of Lagos

Industry Partnership

Lufthansa Design Thinking Projects

Two landmark partnerships with Lufthansa brought real-world design thinking methodology to the University of Lagos campus — training students and faculty to solve complex problems through human-centred innovation.

Led personally by Prof. Adebisi, these programmes produced tangible product and service prototypes that demonstrated the entrepreneurial potential sitting inside African university campuses.

Teams of students

156

Students participated

Faculty members involved

✓Lufthansa 2017 — 22 teams of 156 students and 35 lecturers designed 22 new product & service prototypes

✓Lufthansa 2018 — second consecutive partnership deepening design thinking skills at UNILAG

✓Human-centred innovation methodology applied to African market challenges

✓Showcased how university campuses can be engines of entrepreneurial innovation

✓Part of Prof. Adebisi's global partnerships driving ARUA-USD's replication of Silicon Valley for Africa

Annual Conferences

International Conference Gallery

Three blended international conferences — growing from a COVID-era virtual event to a pan-African gathering spanning Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya.

1st ARUA CoE-USD International Conference 2020 — Opening Ceremony

Conference 2020 — Best Papers Prize Award

1st Edition · November 2020

1st ARUA CoE-USD International Conference — Opening Ceremony, Parallel Sessions & Best Papers Award

The inaugural blended international conference held during the COVID-19 pandemic. Theme: "The Deepening Youth Unemployment Crisis Occasioned by COVID-19: What Options Available For The Rescue?" Best Papers Prize of £200 GBP awarded. University of Lagos as host hub, with partners across Africa and beyond.

↓ Download Programme & Abstracts

2nd Edition · 2021 · South Africa

2nd International Conference — KwaZulu-Natal & Cape Town

Theme: "The Drive for Innovative Solutions to Youth Unemployment in Africa: Policy and Practice Imperatives." Co-hosted with University of KwaZulu-Natal and University of Cape Town.

↓ Full Programme & Abstracts

3rd Edition · July 26–28 2022 · Nairobi, Kenya

3rd International Conference — University of Nairobi

Theme: "Sustainable and Workable Solutions for Youth Unemployment in Africa." Special Guest: Dr. Rose Ngugi, KIPPRA Executive Director. Sponsored by ARUA-UKRI Capacity Grant. VCs from Nigeria, Kenya, and Canada in attendance.

↓ Full Conference Brochure

Full Archive

All Programmes & Events

2020 Capacity Building

3T-CBP 2020 — Teach, Train & Transform Capacity Building Programme

A structured capacity building programme designed to teach, train, and transform the next generation of researchers and entrepreneurs across ARUA member universities. Focused on methodology, collaborative writing, and research impact.

Venue: University of Lagos, Nigeria

2019 Conference

ARUA Nairobi Conference 2019

First major international engagement of ARUA-USD, CoE outside Nigeria. A pivotal conference that built pan-African research partnerships between University of Lagos, University of Nairobi, University of Ghana, and University of Cape Town.

Venue: University of Nairobi, Kenya · November 2019

2019 Workshop

Half-Day International Workshop 2019

An intensive half-day international workshop bringing together researchers, policy experts, and industry leaders to tackle specific questions around youth unemployment solutions and entrepreneurship enablement in Africa.

Format: International Workshop · 2019

2019 Gender & Inclusion

TechWomen 2019

A flagship gender-inclusion programme empowering women in technology and entrepreneurship at UNILAG. TechWomen advanced gender equity in Africa's growing innovation ecosystem, equipping female students and professionals with skills for the digital economy.

Venue: University of Lagos · December 2019

2020 Webinar

World Youth Skills Day 2020

ARUA-USD hosted a special event marking the United Nations World Youth Skills Day — raising awareness of the African youth unemployment crisis, showcasing the CoE's research, and engaging stakeholders around actionable solutions.

Format: Online Event · 15 July 2020

2020 Webinar Series

International Youth Day Webinar Series 2.0

The second edition of ARUA-USD's International Webinar Series, timed to coincide with the United Nations International Youth Day. Brought together youth voices, academics, and policy-makers for a vital conversation on employment and skills.

Format: Online Webinar Series · 12 August 2020

2020 Institutional

National Universities Commission (NUC) Visit to UNILAG ESDC

A landmark institutional visit — the National Universities Commission of Nigeria visited the Entrepreneurship and Skills Development Centre (ESDC) at UNILAG, recognising the CoE's work and its significance for Nigerian higher education and entrepreneurship policy.

Venue: ESDC, University of Lagos · 2020

2020 Research

WRITE-SHOP — PRAC-4-YUSA Baseline Assessment Project

An intensive research write-shop conducted as part of the £600,000 UKRI-GCRF PRAC-4-YUSA project. Cross-institutional teams collaborated intensively to produce baseline assessment frameworks for measuring youth unemployment across partner countries.

Programme: PRAC-4-YUSA · UKRI-GCRF Grant · 2020

2017 Industry Partnership

Lufthansa Design Thinking Project 2017

The first Lufthansa partnership at UNILAG — 22 teams of 156 students and 35 lecturers designed 22 new product and service prototypes using Design Thinking methodology. A landmark demonstration of innovation potential within African universities.

Venue: University of Lagos · October 2017

2018 Industry Partnership

Lufthansa Design Thinking Project 2018

The second consecutive Lufthansa Design Thinking partnership, deepening the innovation culture at the University of Lagos and expanding the methodology's reach to more students, departments, and industry challenges relevant to the African context.

Venue: University of Lagos · 2018