Why Tinubu expands ICT centres to 15 more institutions
By Uji A Iliyasu, Abuja
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has announced the expansion of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund/Renewed Hope Initiative (TETFund/RHI) ICT Experience Centre programme to 15 additional tertiary institutions across the country.
Tinubu, represented by the wife of the Vice-President, Hajia Nana Shettima, made the announcement on Tuesday while commissioning an ICT Experience Centre at Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete.
She said construction of the centres was already underway in Adamawa, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Katsina, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Rivers, Yobe and Zamfara states.
According to her, the expansion is aimed at equipping Nigerian youths with the knowledge and digital skills required to compete in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
“The centre we are commissioning today represents opportunity, innovation, knowledge and hope for the future of young people in Kwara State and beyond,” she said.
She said the KWASU facility was equipped with ICT laboratories, interactive digital displays, conference facilities and exhibition spaces to promote learning, creativity, research and technological advancement.
Tinubu noted that KWASU was among six institutions selected for the pilot phase, with one institution representing each of the six geopolitical zones.
She said centres had been commissioned in other zones, while those at Kaduna State University and Taraba State University would be commissioned soon.
The First Lady urged students to take ownership of the facility and use it to develop innovative solutions that could transform their communities and the country.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, represented by the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Arc Olajide Babatunde, said the Board had approved one ICT Experience Centre for each geopolitical zone, at an estimated cost of N1 billion per centre.
He said the facilities would equip students and lecturers with skills in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics and software development.
Echono said the centres would expose beneficiaries to emerging technologies applicable to security, agriculture, healthcare, media and mining, while improving graduate employability.
The Vice-Chancellor of KWASU, Prof. Shaykh-Luqman Jimoh, described the facility as a strategic investment in human capital, innovation and entrepreneurship, assuring that the university would maximise its benefits for students, researchers and the wider community.