For years, conversations around Nigeria’s tech ecosystem have revolved around the same cities. Lagos dominates the headlines. Abuja occasionally enters the conversation. Everywhere else is often treated like an afterthought.

But Moniepoint appears to be betting on a different future.

The fintech company has announced a N3 billion investment to establish innovation hubs across three Nigerian federal universities over the next three years, in what is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious university-focused technology talent initiatives in the country.

The Moniepoint Innovation Hubs will be located at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), with the company saying the selection was deliberate rather than symbolic.

Instead of concentrating opportunities within already saturated tech cities, the goal is to spread access to innovation and technical training across different regions of Nigeria.

The initiative was officially unveiled at OAU in Ile-Ife during an event attended by vice chancellors, student representatives, industry stakeholders and members of Nigeria’s wider tech ecosystem.

According to Moniepoint, the hubs are expected to function as permanent technology training centres that will expose students to practical skills in software engineering, artificial intelligence, robotics, data science, product design and entrepreneurship.

The company also stated that the hubs will operate through structured cohort-based programmes focused on mentorship, hands-on learning and real-world project development rather than purely theoretical teaching.

For many observers, the significance of the initiative goes beyond the money itself. Nigeria’s tech ecosystem has long struggled with a concentration problem where access to opportunities, mentorship and infrastructure is heavily centred around Lagos.

As a result, talented students outside major cities are often left disconnected from the same networks and exposure available elsewhere.

Moniepoint says this project is an attempt to change that.

Speaking during the launch, Moniepoint co-founder and CEO, Tosin Eniolorunda, said the initiative was inspired partly by his own educational background and the need to strengthen Nigeria’s local technology talent pipeline.

“When you look at the success of companies like Moniepoint, it is easy to forget that it all started with the foundational training we received right here in Nigerian universities,” he said.

According to Eniolorunda, Nigeria’s digital economy cannot continue relying purely on potential without intentionally developing local technical capacity at scale.

“By launching these Innovation Hubs beginning with OAU, UNN and ABU Zaria, we are intentionally anchoring world-class technical skills across the country,” he added.

The company also hinted that the programme may eventually expand into additional tertiary institutions across Nigeria in the future.

Beyond building physical innovation spaces, Moniepoint said students participating in the programme will gain access to mentorship opportunities, internship pathways, curriculum support and expert-led sessions facilitated by the company’s engineering, product and business teams.

Participants are also expected to work on live projects while building direct connections to Moniepoint’s wider network of engineers, investors and industry professionals.

The Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, described the partnership as an important moment for higher education and innovation within Nigeria.

“This partnership with Moniepoint Group is a powerful affirmation of our belief that knowledge must serve society,” he said.

“The Moniepoint Innovation Hub will not only expand what our students can learn but also transform what they believe is possible.”

The initiative also builds on previous investments linked to Moniepoint’s founders.

The company referenced earlier projects carried out through the Tosin Eniolorunda STEM Foundation, including the establishment of a CAD/CAM laboratory reportedly valued at over N100 million at OAU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Moniepoint also highlighted HatchDev, a developer training initiative at the University of Lagos championed by the company’s co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Felix Ike, in partnership with the NiITHub innovation centre. According to the company, the programme trains approximately 500 developers annually.

At a time when conversations around Nigeria’s technology future often focus on funding rounds, valuations and startup expansion, Moniepoint’s latest investment reflects something slightly different: infrastructure for talent itself.

Because while Nigeria has no shortage of ambitious young people interested in technology, access remains uneven. Many students outside major cities still lack proximity to mentorship, modern learning environments and practical technical training opportunities that could help bridge the gap between education and employability.

By taking innovation hubs directly into universities across different regions, Moniepoint appears to be positioning itself not just as a fintech company, but as one of the private sector players attempting to shape what Nigeria’s future technology workforce could eventually look like.