For millions of students in public tertiary institutions, the computer is still an expensive educational tool rather than a basic part of campus life. A laptop can cost several months of a family’s income while the cost of data, electricity and repairs adds another layer to the challenge. Students, who cannot afford personal computers often, rely on smartphones, borrowed devices or commercial business centres.

But a smartphone and a computer do not provide the same educational experience. A student may be able to read a message, watch a lecture or conduct a quick search on a phone but writing a long research paper, analysing data, programming, editing multimedia content, using specialised academic software or participating in advanced digital training requires a more substantial computing environment.

This is where access goes beyond laptop ownership. A student may own a laptop but have no reliable electricity or internet connection. Another may not own one but have regular access to a properly equipped university facility. What matters ultimately is whether students can consistently access functional computers, electricity, connectivity, digital resources and a suitable space for learning.

There is no reliable national figure showing how many students in Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions enjoy such access. But available studies offer an indication of the challenge. A 2025 study of 1,500 tertiary students in Adamawa State for instance, showed that 74 per cent reported access to smartphones, compared with 61 per cent for laptops and 22 per cent for desktop computers. The figures cannot be projected nationally but they illustrate the gap between access to mobile technology and access to conventional computing devices.

The problem is not uniquely Nigerian. Across Africa, universities and governments are adopting different approaches to ensure that students are not excluded from digital learning simply because they cannot afford a computer.

The University of Ghana has adopted a particularly direct approach through its One Student, One Laptop initiative. Launched as part of the university’s digital inclusion strategy, the programme provides laptops to selected students, particularly those who need financial support. By June 2026, another 152 students had received laptops, while the university had continued to expand the scheme through institutional and private-sector support. The university has also re-equipped computer laboratories.

The Ghanaian experience demonstrates an important principle – personal ownership remains valuable even where universities provide computer laboratories.

South Africa provides another useful example. Universities have invested in campus computer laboratories, digital access programmes and innovation spaces that allow students and wider communities to use computers and other digital tools. Rhodes University, for instance, operates a digital access programme that provides reliable internet, devices and computer laboratories while supporting minicomputer laboratories and mobile labs in surrounding communities.

These models show that the digital divide is not simply a question of whether a student owns a device. It is about creating an ecosystem in which people can access devices, connectivity, software, digital skills and spaces in which those resources can be used productively.

The commissioning of the N1 billion ICT Digital Experience Centre at the University of Cross River State, UNICROSS, Calabar, by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has brought that possibility into sharper focus. The facility established under the Renewed Hope Initiative, in partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), provides students with laptops, desktop computers, digital resources and free internet access.

UNICROSS is one of six pioneer institutions selected under the programme, with one centre established in each geopolitical zone. Other beneficiaries are Ekiti State University, Federal Polytechnic, Oko; Kaduna State University, Kwara State University and Taraba State University. TETFund’s Board of Trustees approved N1 billion for each of the six zonal centres under its 2024 strategic intervention, making the UNICROSS facility the South-South centre.

The significance of the model is that a student does not have to first own a laptop before gaining access to meaningful computing. A student, who has previously depended on a smartphone can walk into the centre and work on a computer, conduct research, access online materials and develop digital skills.

Chairman, TETFund Board of Trustees, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, said the centres are intended to expose students and lecturers to Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, robotics and software development.

TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, has indicated that the six centres are only the beginning. He said the intention is to extend the model to 270 beneficiary institutions.

According to Echono, another 15 facilities are expected to be completed before the end of January 2027, while work is ongoing on about 50 other facilities through the upgrading of existing ICT centres or construction of new ones.

The potential impact extends beyond students studying computer science or engineering. A student of agriculture could use digital tools for data analysis and precision agriculture. There is also a wider economic argument. Africa’s economies are increasingly seeking young people with digital skills while employers are demanding competencies that cannot always be acquired through conventional classroom teaching.

The experience of Ghana and South Africa demonstrates that there is no single model for achieving this. Ghana’s approach places considerable emphasis on putting laptops directly in students’ hands, while South African institutions demonstrate the value of institutional computer laboratories and digital access hubs. Nigeria’s TETFund model adds another possibility: creating dedicated, well-equipped digital centres within a large network of public tertiary institutions.

For Nigeria, the opportunity is considerable. With over 270 TETFund beneficiary institutions, a successful expansion would put functioning computers, connectivity and digital resources within reach of students across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.