For years, Nigeria’s ambition to compete in the global digital economy has been constrained not by a lack of talent but absence of required infrastructure to nurture it.

The proposed TETFund-sponsored Centres of Excellence in Robotics, Coding, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and Cybersecurity across the six beneficiary universities across the country, no doubt, represents more than an academic initiative. It is a strategic investment in the country’s future startup ecosystem. By embedding advanced technology research and training within universities, the country is laying the groundwork for a new generation of technology-driven enterprises.

One major implication of the absence of such centres had been a persistent shortage of high-level digital skills. Although Nigeria has roughly 50,000 AI workers and produces about 2,500 AI graduates annually, industry reports indicated that the number is grossly below the requirement to support the growing tech ecosystem. The deficit reflects a deeper structural problem, limited specialised training facilities necessary to produce advanced researchers, engineers and innovators. It has also affected access to quality practical training for students as many institutions still rely heavily on theoretical instruction due to inadequate laboratories, modern computing infrastructure and research platforms.

In fact, only 31 per cent of universities in Africa offer dedicated AI programmes and 34 per cent runs data science degrees.

Beyond education, absence of such centres has equally limited the pipeline of research-driven startups in Nigerian universities unlike other advanced economies, where breakthrough startups often originate from academic laboratories, where students and researchers experiment with cutting-edge technologies before transforming them into commercial products.
   
Despite hosting over 430 fintech companies and more than 3,000 tech startups, the existing gap digital innovation explains why innovation ecosystem still relies heavily on imported technologies and foreign technical expertise.
 
Coming at a time Nigeria is ranked 103rd out of 127 countries in the 2025 Network Readiness Index, experts said the centres will address longstanding gaps in the digital innovation capacity by enabling universities serve as engines of deep-tech innovation and producing solutions tailored to the country’s unique economic and social challenges.   
  
Speaking at the inauguration of TETFund’s Advisory Committee on Robotics, Coding, AI, Machine Learning Centres and Cybersecurity, Executive Secretary of the agency, Sonny Echono, said the committee’s primary assignment is to guide the selection of institutions to host the new centers.
  
The committee, which is chaired by the immediate past Secretary General, Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Professor Yakubu Ochefu, is tasked with identifying institutions that have demonstrable strengths and capacity in Robotics, Coding, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Cybersecurity studies. It will also set criteria for selecting beneficiary institutions as well as recommend up to six universities to host the proposed centres, ensuring representation across the six geopolitical zones as outlined in the TETFund Act of 2011.
  
Echono said: “We are not only addressing issues around national security, we are also preparing future generations of our youthful population to contribute meaningfully to national development and to fill knowledge and skills gaps globally.
 
“We secured Mr President’s approval to establish at least, six additional Centres of Excellence across the country.”
 
The Executive Secretary explained that the centres would be hosted exclusively by public universities, providing students and researchers with state-of-the-art facilities to drive innovations and competitiveness in emerging technological fields. He therefore directed that the first phrase of the committee’s work be completed in 30 days, with the panel retaining its role to guide the selected institutions in establishing and developing the centres.
  
Responding, Prof. Ochefu pledged panel’s commitment to develop clear, merit-based criteria to identify institutions with proven capacity in the mentioned areas.  Speaking on Nigeria’s readiness for the 21st-century digital economy and the importance of positioning the country in the global AI and cybersecurity landscape, Ochefu said the Centres of Excellence will play a critical role in strengthening the country’s capacity for innovation, research and technological competitiveness.  He noted that countries that have made significant progress in the digital economy deliberately invested in advanced research hubs that nurture talent, encourage collaboration between academia and industry and translate ideas into commercially viable solutions.
 
He believed that the centres will not only strengthen academic research but also serve as incubation hubs for startups and technology-driven enterprises. He noted that by connecting researchers, students and industry players, the facilities are expected to accelerate innovation, support the development of indigenous digital solutions and create opportunities for young Nigerians to build globally competitive technology companies.
  
Experts said the proposed Centres of Excellence could mark a turning point in Nigeria’s digital development journey. By strengthening research capacity, expanding specialised training and fostering university–industry partnerships, the initiative has the potential to deepen the country’s talent pool in emerging technologies while accelerating the growth of knowledge-driven startups.
  
At a time that AI, Robotics, Machine Learning and Cybersecurity are reshaping global economies, Nigeria’s ability to compete will increasingly depend on how well it develops its human capital and innovation infrastructure. Establishment of the centres therefore signals a recognition that the future of the country’s digital economy would be built, not only in boardrooms and technology hubs but also in university laboratories, where the next generations of innovators are trained.