The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has unveiled a N6 billion investment in ICT Experience Centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, in a major push to equip students and lecturers with digital skills needed to compete in a technology-driven economy.

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Thursday commissioned the South-East zonal ICT Experience Centre at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, describing the facility as a critical investment in the future of Nigerian youths.

The centre, established under the Renewed Hope Initiative, is designed to provide practical training in digital literacy, software development, data science, multimedia, online learning, entrepreneurship and emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI).

“I’m really honoured to do this and I pray that God continues to bless this community and generations ongoing. Amen,” the First Lady said during the commissioning.

The project is part of a nationwide intervention approved by the TETFund Board of Trustees to establish an ICT Experience Centre in each of the six geopolitical zones.

Chairman of the TETFund Board of Trustees, Rt. Hon. Aminu Masari, said N1 billion had been approved for each zone, bringing the total investment to N6 billion.

He said selected universities, polytechnics and colleges of education would benefit from the intervention, which was designed to expose students and lecturers to critical technologies such as AI, cybersecurity, robotics and software development.

Masari said the investment was driven by the need to bring Nigeria’s education system in line with emerging global technological and industry standards.

According to him, the initiative would boost graduate employability, stimulate innovation and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to compete in the global digital economy.

He urged the management of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, to protect and maintain the facility while ensuring that its equipment was regularly upgraded to keep pace with technological developments.

TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, said the centre represented far more than a physical structure, describing it as an investment in people, possibilities and Nigeria’s future.

“For us, the Centre represents much more than a physical facility. It is an investment in people; an investment in possibilities; and, ultimately, an investment in the future of Nigeria,” Echono said.

He said increased access to digital learning, innovation and technology would enable young Nigerians to turn ideas into solutions, skills into livelihoods and aspirations into opportunities.

Echono said the intervention was consistent with TETFund’s human capital development agenda and its drive to build a knowledge-based economy.

The Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Dr Chioma Irene Awuzie, described the commissioning as a landmark achievement for the institution and a demonstration of the First Lady’s commitment to youth empowerment through education, technology and innovation.

Awuzie said the ICT Experience Centre, alongside the Chemical Engineering Building and Students’ Examination Centre, underscored the impact of TETFund’s interventions at the polytechnic.

She said the facility would open up opportunities for students in digital skills, employment, entrepreneurship, educational resources, innovation and networking.