Nigeria, June 13 -- Every year, Nigerian universities graduate thousands of students armed with degrees, certificates, and years of academic training. They leave lecture halls having passed examinations, completed assignments, and mastered theories across various disciplines. Yet, for many of them, the journey from knowledge acquisition to innovation remains uncertain.

This reality came to mind as I reflected on the recent commissioning of the Renewed Hope-NITDA Innovation Hub at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife. During the event, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, made a statement that deserves far wider attention than the ceremony itself.

According to him, innovation does not come...