The University of Lagos (UNILAG), in partnership with the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), Covenant University, and the University of Ibadan, convened a Project Impact Showcase for the Bridging Borders Project at the Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre, UNILAG, Akoka, on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
The project, themed Transnational Education Pathways between the UK and Nigeria, was funded by the British Council and aimed at strengthening entrepreneurship education through sustainable international collaboration.
Speaking at the event, the Project Lead, Prof. Paschal Anosike of UWE Bristol, gave an overview of the initiative and highlighted its mission to enhance institutional capacity for effective Entrepreneurship Education (EE) delivery in Nigerian universities. He explained that the project was designed to establish transnational education (TNE) partnerships anchored on joint and dual award models, thereby expanding access to quality higher education across borders.
According to him, the approach allows institutions to share expertise while creating clear academic pathways for students. He noted that the collaboration focused on building systems that would continue to function even after the initial funding phase.
Between April and June 2025, twelve online training workshops were delivered via Microsoft Teams. A total of one hundred and seven participants from UNILAG, University of Ibadan, and Covenant University took part in the sessions. The workshops enabled participants to review and update entrepreneurship curricula in line with global best practices, while maintaining local relevance and practical impact.
A major milestone of the project was the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between UWE Bristol and the three Nigerian partner universities. These agreements formalized commitments to joint curriculum development, co-delivery of programmes, and clearly defined student progression pathways. The MoUs also laid a strong foundation for sustained TNE collaboration beyond the project’s lifecycle.
In his remarks, the Director of Office of International Relations, Partnerships and Prospects, UNILAG, Prof. Ismail Ibraheem, described entrepreneurship as “a philosophy, culture, and way of life that must be embraced.” He commended Prof. Anosike for bringing together three leading Nigerian universities on a shared platform to advance entrepreneurship education.
Also speaking, the Director of Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of Ibadan, Prof. Sherifat Abaoba, shared measurable outcomes from the training. Despite her academic background in Chemistry, she said the programme had significantly enhanced her capacity in entrepreneurship education. She also outlined future plans to further strengthen EE delivery at her institution using the knowledge gained from the workshops.
Highlighting the impact at Covenant University, Dr. Isaac Akinwumi of the Department of Civil Engineering emphasized the importance of developing joint short courses and providing seed funding for student start-ups. He also stressed the need to expand industry partnerships in order to deepen entrepreneurial learning and make it more practical for students.
The event featured a panel discussion with participants from the three universities, who reflected on their experiences during the training sessions and shared lessons learned. There was also a goodwill message from Mr. Daniel Emanahor, Head of Higher Education at the British Council. He reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to equitable and mutually beneficial partnerships in transnational education and highlighted plans to further advance entrepreneurship education through innovative toolkits designed to empower students.
The Bridging Borders Project Impact Showcase highlighted the role of transnational collaboration in shaping the future of entrepreneurship education in Nigeria, focusing on innovation, capacity building, and expanded access to higher education opportunities.
