UNILAG International Week 2025 Spotlights Tech and Entrepreneurship with Fireside Chat

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) continued its International Week 2025 on Monday, October 13, with a high-impact fireside chat featuring Yvonne Ike, Managing Director and Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at Bank of America, and Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, co-founder of Andela and Flutterwave, and current General Partner at Future Africa.

The session, held at MADHouse, UNILAG, drew a dynamic crowd of students, tech innovators, and aspiring entrepreneurs eager to glean insights into tech, funding, and investment banking.

The speakers shared practical guidance on building successful ventures, emphasizing the importance of choosing the right collaborators. “The university is the best place to learn, fail, and learn again,” Aboyeji noted, urging students to treat the campus as a launchpad rather than just a classroom.

Both Ike and Aboyeji highlighted the need for purpose-driven entrepreneurship. Ike stressed character as a critical factor in investment, while Aboyeji outlined key elements investors look for during pitches: conviction in one’s idea, thorough research, curiosity for new opportunities, operational systems, storytelling, and financial viability. On funding, the advice was straightforward: solve real problems, engage real customers, and financial backing will follow. Entrepreneurship, they emphasized, should be approached as a service.

The discussion also touched on research impact, with the speakers advocating a shift from theory to tangible solutions. “Until our campuses become centres for solving problems, Nigeria will not develop,” Aboyeji asserted, calling for stronger collaboration between universities and industries to translate research into practical solutions.

Representing the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services), Prof. Afolabi Lesi, thanked the speakers for sharing actionable insights with students, likening the event to the ancient tradition of passing wisdom around a fireside.

The UNILAG International Week is a flagship platform for dialogue, networking, and strategic engagement with academia, industry, policymakers, and the public. The 2025 edition, the fifth since its inception, carries the theme: Equitable Partnerships and the Future of AI in Africa. The five-day programme aims to foster actionable outcomes, including policy recommendations, academic collaborations, and investment linkages to strengthen Africa’s digital future.