The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has committed N6 billion to the establishment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Experience Centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening digital skills, innovation and human capital development in tertiary institutions across the country.
The First Lady, 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 students, lecturers and other beneficiaries with practical skills in digital literacy, software development, data science, multimedia, online learning, entrepreneurship and emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Speaking at the commissioning, Mrs Tinubu described the centre as an important investment in the future of Nigerian youths, expressing hope that it would continue to benefit the institution and generations of young Nigerians.
The commissioning was held alongside the launch of the National Community Food Bank Programme for the South-East Zone.
Earlier, Chairman of the TETFund Board of Trustees, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, said the Oko centre was part of a nationwide strategic intervention approved by the board to establish an ICT Experience Centre in each of the six geopolitical zones.
Masari disclosed that TETFund approved N1 billion for each zone, bringing the total investment to N6 billion.
According to him, selected universities, polytechnics and colleges of education would benefit from the intervention, which is designed to equip students and lecturers with critical digital skills in areas including AI, cybersecurity, robotics and software development.
He said the intervention was informed by the need to align Nigeria’s education system with emerging global technological and industry standards.
Masari said the ultimate objective was to improve graduate employability, foster innovation and position Nigeria to participate more effectively in the global technology-driven economy.
He urged the management of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, to ensure proper maintenance and security of the facility and regularly upgrade its equipment to keep pace with technological advancements.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, described the facility as more than physical infrastructure, saying it represented an investment in people, possibilities and Nigeria’s future.
Echono said expanding 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 aligned with TETFund’s commitment to human capital development and the emergence of a knowledge-driven economy.
According to him, TETFund was honoured to partner with the Renewed Hope Initiative in advancing an agenda that recognises Nigerian youths not merely as beneficiaries of development, but as key actors in shaping the country’s future.
Echono assured that TETFund would continue to ensure that the ICT Experience Centres achieved their intended objectives of expanding digital inclusion, nurturing talent and creating new opportunities for Nigerian youths.
He said the ICT initiative and the National Community Food Bank Programme reflected the central objective of the Renewed Hope Agenda of putting people at the centre of development.
While describing the food bank programme as a timely response to the needs of vulnerable Nigerians facing economic challenges, Echono said the ICT centres would address the growing need to equip young people with the knowledge and digital skills required to compete in an increasingly technology-driven world.
The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Dr Chioma Irene Awuzie, described the commissioning as a landmark achievement for the institution and an affirmation of the First Lady’s commitment to empowering Nigerian youths through education, technology and innovation.
Awuzie said the ICT Experience Centre, alongside the Chemical Engineering Building and Students’ Examination Centre, demonstrated the impact of TETFund’s interventions at the polytechnic.
She said the centre would provide students with access to digital skills, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, educational resources, technology, innovation and networking.
According to her, the facility would also bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and hands-on technological experience, equipping students with competencies required to thrive in the 21st-century economy.
Awuzie stressed that the growing influence of technology, artificial intelligence, digital skills and innovation made it imperative for Nigerian youths to be adequately equipped to compete and lead in the global economy.
