The Federal Government has announced plans to expand training in artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, robotics and other emerging technologies to 15 additional tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
The expansion was announced during the commissioning of the TETFund/Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) ICT Experience Centre at Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete.
According to a statement by the Special Assistant to the President on Media and ICT in the Office of the Vice President, Kwapchi Hamman, construction of the new centres is already underway in tertiary institutions across Adamawa, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Katsina, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Rivers, Yobe and Zamfara states.
The programme, championed by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu through the Renewed Hope Initiative in collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), is aimed at expanding access to technology-driven education and preparing Nigerian students for opportunities in the digital economy.
Represented at the commissioning by the wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima, Mrs Tinubu said the centres would provide young Nigerians with opportunities for learning, creativity, research and technological innovation.
She described the KWASU centre as a symbol of “opportunity, innovation, knowledge and hope” for young people in Kwara State and beyond.
The facility features ICT laboratories, interactive digital displays, conference facilities and exhibition spaces.
TETFund Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, said the initiative represented a strategic investment in Nigeria’s digital future, noting that students would be exposed to AI, cybersecurity, robotics and other emerging technologies.
Echono, who was represented by the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Olajide Babatunde, said the partnership with RHI was designed to help bridge Nigeria’s digital skills gap, improve graduate employability and ensure tertiary education keeps pace with global technological developments.
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, urged KWASU to use the facility to promote innovation, job creation and practical solutions to societal challenges.
He stressed that universities should move beyond producing graduates to becoming centres for ideas, innovation and solutions capable of improving lives.
The Vice-Chancellor of KWASU, Shaykh-Luqman Jimoh, described the centre as an investment in Nigeria’s future, saying it would strengthen research, entrepreneurship and the university’s engagement with its host community.
The KWASU centre is the fourth facility commissioned under the six-centre pilot programme. Similar centres have been commissioned at Ekiti State University, University of Cross River State and Anambra State Polytechnic, while facilities at Kaduna State University and Taraba State University have been completed and are awaiting commissioning.
