Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The federal government has announced plans to expand its TETFund/Renewed Hope Initiative ICT Experience Centre programme to 15 additional tertiary institutions across the country as part of efforts to equip Nigerian youths with digital skills.
The disclosure was made on Tuesday by First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, while commissioning the ICT Experience Centre at Kwara State University, KWASU, Malete.
She was represented by the wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima.
According to the First Lady, construction is already ongoing in Adamawa, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Katsina, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Rivers, Yobe and Zamfara states.
“The centre we are commissioning today represents opportunity, innovation, knowledge and hope for the future of young people in Kwara State and beyond,” she stated.
The KWASU facility, she explained, is a modern technology hub equipped with ICT laboratories, interactive digital displays, conference facilities and exhibition spaces to drive learning, creativity, research and technological advancement.
She noted that KWASU was one of six institutions selected for the pilot phase, with one centre in each geopolitical zone. Other centres have already been commissioned, while those at Kaduna State University and Taraba State University will be commissioned soon.
Also speaking, TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, represented by Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Olajide Babatunde, said the Board approved N1 billion for each centre across the six zones.
Echono said the centres are designed to train students and lecturers in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics and software development, and to expose them to applications in security, agriculture, healthcare, media and mining.
He described the KWASU centre as one of the foremost ICT facilities in the country and the third to be commissioned in 2026. He called on the university management to ensure proper maintenance and regular upgrades.