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N1bn TETFund ICT Facility Signals Push for Digital Economy–Ready Graduates
Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has commissioned a state-of-the-art ₦1 billion TETFund ICT Experience Centre at Ekiti State University (EKSU), reinforcing the Federal Government’s drive to align tertiary education with the demands of the digital economy.
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The commissioning, which took place on May 30, 2026, forms part of the Renewed Hope Initiative, delivered in partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Ekiti State Government.
Strategic Investment in Future-Ready Skills
Speaking at the event, Senator Tinubu described the ICT Experience Centre as a strategic national investment in innovation, artificial intelligence, and digital skills, designed to prepare Nigerian youths for a technology-driven global economy.
According to her, the facility will provide students with access to modern digital tools, immersive learning platforms, and innovation-enabling infrastructure capable of strengthening academic excellence, entrepreneurship, and applied research.
“This partnership with TETFund under the Renewed Hope Initiative is designed to improve educational opportunities and equip young Nigerians with relevant digital skills for the future,” the First Lady said.
She added that the intervention aligns with the broader education and human capital development agenda of President Bola Tinubu, aimed at positioning Nigeria’s youth for emerging global realities shaped by technology and artificial intelligence.
EKSU Describes Project as Historic Milestone
The Chancellor of EKSU, Tunji Olowolafe, described the commissioning of the ICT centre as a historic milestone in the 44-year-old institution’s development, noting that it fulfilled a long-standing aspiration of the university community.
According to him, the centre will significantly enhance digital literacy, digital fluency, and hands-on technological competence, giving EKSU graduates a competitive edge locally and globally.
“We are here to open a door to digital literacy, digital fluency, and the kind of practical, future-ready education that our students need to compete and lead—not just in Nigeria, but across the world,” Olowolafe stated.
He added that the facility represents an invaluable investment in students’ futures and positions EKSU as a serious participant in Nigeria’s evolving digital education ecosystem.
Aligning Education Reform with Access and Inclusion
Olowolafe also commended the Federal Government for what he described as one of the most ambitious education reform programmes in Nigeria’s history, highlighting the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as a critical intervention.
He noted that the loan scheme has removed financial barriers that previously prevented many talented students from accessing higher education.
“For too long, financial hardship placed a ceiling on intellectual potential in our country. Brilliant young Nigerians stayed home not because they lacked ability, but because they lacked means. The Nigerian Education Loan Fund was a direct response to this injustice,” he said.
Positioning Universities for the Digital Economy
With the commissioning of the ICT Experience Centre, EKSU joins a growing number of Nigerian universities being repositioned as technology-enabled learning and innovation hubs, supporting the country’s broader ambition to grow its digital economy and develop globally competitive human capital.
The project underscores the increasing role of targeted public-sector interventions in bridging the gap between traditional university education and the skills demanded by the modern digital workforce.
