TETFund to establish six additional centres of excellence in AI, Robotics, Cybersecurity, others
By Uji A. Iliyasu, Abuja
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has announced plans to establish six new Centres of Excellence in Robotics, Coding, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and Cybersecurity across Nigerian universities.
The initiative, according to the Fund, will increase the total number of TETFund-supported centres of excellence nationwide from 30 to 36 once the new centres become operational.
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, disclosed this at the Fund’s headquarters in Abuja during the inauguration of an advisory committee tasked with guiding the establishment of the new centres.
Echono said the committee’s primary responsibility is to develop criteria and identify universities with the capacity to host the centres, which are aimed at strengthening research, innovation and technological development in critical digital fields.
The committee is chaired by the immediate past Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu.
According to the terms of reference, the committee will identify institutions with demonstrable strengths in Robotics, Coding, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Cybersecurity. It will also set the criteria and conditions for selecting beneficiary institutions and recommend up to six universities to host the proposed centres.
Echono explained that the selection process would ensure equitable representation across the six geopolitical zones in line with the provisions of the TETFund Act of 2011.
Highlighting the national importance of the initiative, the TETFund boss said the centres are designed to address emerging security challenges while equipping Nigeria’s youthful population with globally relevant digital skills.
“We are not only addressing issues around national security, but we are also preparing future generations of our youthful population to contribute meaningfully to national development and to fill knowledge and skills gaps globally,” Echono said.
He revealed that the establishment of the new centres followed the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, adding that the initiative was designed to tap into the abundant technological talents across the country.
“We secured Mr President’s approval to establish at least six additional centres of excellence across the country. This is deliberate, as we aim to reflect all six geopolitical zones while tapping into the abundant talents that exist in Nigeria,” he added.
Echono further noted that the centres would be hosted exclusively by public universities and would be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to support advanced research, innovation and capacity building in emerging technological fields.
He also directed that the first phase of the committee’s assignment be completed within 30 days, adding that the panel will continue to provide guidance to the selected institutions during the establishment and development of the centres.
The executive secretary urged members of the committee to leverage their professional experience and expertise to deliver quality recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s technological ecosystem.
Responding on behalf of the committee chairman, Prof. Ochefu assured that the panel would develop clear and merit-based criteria for the selection of beneficiary institutions.
He pledged that the committee would ensure that universities with proven capacity in Robotics, Coding, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Cybersecurity are considered, while maintaining equitable representation across the six geopolitical zones in line with the provisions of the TETFund Act.
Ochefu added that the committee was committed to carrying out its assignment diligently and within the stipulated timeframe in order to support the country’s drive toward technological advancement and innovation.