The Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, has approved a ₦6 billion investment for the establishment of Information and Communication Technology, ICT, Experience Centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The initiative is aimed at equipping students and lecturers with practical digital skills needed to compete in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Thursday commissioned the South-East Zonal ICT Experience Centre at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State.
The facility, established under the Renewed Hope Initiative, is designed to provide practical training and learning opportunities in digital literacy, software development, data science, multimedia, online learning, entrepreneurship and emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, AI.
Commissioning the facility, the First Lady described the intervention as an important investment in the future of Nigerian youths.
She expressed appreciation for the development and prayed for the continued success of the project and its impact on generations of beneficiaries.
The project is part of a nationwide intervention approved by the TETFund Board of Trustees to establish an ICT Experience Centre in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The Chairman of the TETFund Board of Trustees, Rt. Hon. Aminu Masari, disclosed that ₦1 billion had been approved for each geopolitical zone, bringing the total investment to ₦6 billion.
Masari said selected universities, polytechnics and colleges of education would benefit from the intervention, which is expected to expose students and lecturers to critical technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics and software development.
He said the investment was driven by the need to align Nigeria’s tertiary education system with emerging global technological and industry standards.
According to him, the initiative would improve graduate employability, stimulate innovation and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to compete in the global digital economy.
Masari urged the management of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, to protect and maintain the facility, while ensuring that its equipment is regularly upgraded to keep pace with technological developments.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, said the ICT Experience Centre represented more than a physical structure, describing it as an investment in people, possibilities and the future of Nigeria.
Echono said increased access to digital learning, innovation and technology would enable young Nigerians to transform ideas into solutions, skills into livelihoods and aspirations into opportunities.
He said the intervention was consistent with TETFund’s human capital development agenda and its drive to support the development of a knowledge-based economy.
The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Dr Chioma Irene Awuzie, described the commissioning as a landmark achievement for the institution and a demonstration of the First Lady’s commitment to youth empowerment through education, technology and innovation.
Awuzie said the ICT Experience Centre, alongside the Chemical Engineering Building and Students’ Examination Centre, highlighted the impact of TETFund interventions at the institution.
She said the new facility would provide students with expanded opportunities in digital skills development, employment, entrepreneurship, access to educational resources, innovation and professional networking.
The commissioning marks another step in efforts to strengthen digital capacity within Nigeria’s tertiary institutions and prepare students and lecturers for emerging opportunities in the technology-driven economy.
