By Isaac Mission
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has earmarked N6 billion for the establishment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Experience Centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening digital education and equipping students and lecturers with practical skills required to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven economy.
The South-East ICT Experience Centre, located at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, was commissioned on Thursday by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Speaking at the event, the First Lady described the facility as an important investment in the future of Nigerian youths and prayed for its continued impact on the community and generations to come.
The ICT centre was established under the Renewed Hope Initiative and will provide training and practical exposure in areas including digital literacy, software development, data science, multimedia, online education, entrepreneurship and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Chairman of the TETFund Board of Trustees, Rt. Hon. Aminu Masari, disclosed that N1 billion had been allocated to each of the six geopolitical zones, bringing the total funding for the project to N6 billion.
According to Masari, beneficiaries will include selected universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
He said the centres would expose students and academic staff to critical fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics and software development.
Masari explained that the investment was designed to help Nigeria’s tertiary education system keep pace with technological developments and changing demands in the global labour market.
He added that the intervention would improve graduates’ employability, encourage innovation and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness within the global digital economy.
The TETFund chairman also called on the management of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, to ensure the facility is properly maintained and its equipment regularly upgraded as technology evolves.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, described the ICT Experience Centre as more than just an infrastructure project, saying its real value lies in the opportunities it would create for Nigerians.
Echono said the initiative was an investment in people and their ability to transform knowledge and ideas into practical solutions and economic opportunities.
He noted that expanding access to digital learning, innovation and technology was central to TETFund’s human capital development strategy and its broader objective of supporting a knowledge-based Nigerian economy.
Also speaking, the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Dr Chioma Irene Awuzie, described the commissioning as a significant milestone for the institution.
Awuzie said the project reflected the growing impact of TETFund interventions at the polytechnic, alongside other major projects such as the Chemical Engineering Building and Students’ Examination Centre.
She expressed optimism that the new ICT facility would create opportunities for students to acquire digital skills, access educational resources, pursue entrepreneurship, explore employment opportunities and build professional networks.