Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has commissioned a N1billion state of the art Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Digital Experience Centre at the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), Calabar, providing students with free access to laptops, desktops and other digital resources.

The modern facility, delivered through the Renewed Hope Initiative in partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), is designed to provide young people, particularly economically disadvantaged students who cannot afford digital devices, free access to digital resources and devices.

Commissioning the facility on Friday at the University main campus in Calabar, Senator Tinubu said the new centre is expected to give students uninterrupted opportunities to learn, create and build digital skills without the barriers of device ownership and unstable electricity.

According  to her, the project is part of a countrywide initiative, involving tertiary educational institutions across the country’s geopolitical zones as beneficiaries in the pilot phase.

The institutions include Ekiti State University; Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State; Kaduna State University; Kwara State University; University of Cross River State; Taraba State University among others.

In his remarks, Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, commended the initiative, describing the ICT Digital Experience Centre as a significant investment in the digital empowerment of students and the advancement of education in the state.

He noted that the facility would help bridge the digital divide among students while equipping young people with the skills required to compete effectively in an increasingly technology driven global economy.

In his address, the Chairman, TETFund Board of Trustees, Rt. Hon. Aminu Masari, said the centre was among six institutions countrywide selected as pioneer beneficiaries of the strategic intervention under the Fund’s 2024 activities.

Masari said the Board approved an ICT Experience Centre in each of the six geopolitical zones at a total cost of N1 billion per zone, with UNICROSS hosting the South South Centre.

He said the centre was designed to equip students and lecturers with critical digital skills in Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics and software development, while exposing them to emerging technologies applicable to sectors including agriculture, healthcare, security, media and mining. According to him, the intervention is aimed at enhancing graduate employability, fostering innovation and preparing Nigerian youths to compete effectively in the global technology driven economy.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, said the project reflected the Fund’s commitment to strengthening digital infrastructure in tertiary institutions and expanding access to technology driven learning.

Echono also acknowledged the role of the First Lady in supporting initiatives aimed at empowering young Nigerians, saying her commitment had provided invaluable encouragement to programmes of this nature.

He commended the university management for its cooperation in delivering the project and urged it to ensure the facility and equipment were properly maintained, secured and regularly upgraded.

He said TETFund would continue to support impactful initiatives that strengthen digital capacity in tertiary institutions, stressing that the centres were not merely infrastructure projects but platforms for creating opportunities for young people and advancing Nigeria’s vision of a knowledge based and technologically empowered economy.

Echono noted that the centre would provide students with access to modern digital resources and create an enabling environment for research, learning and skills development. He added that the initiative would particularly benefit students who lack personal digital devices, helping to reduce inequality in access to education and technology.

He commended the First Lady for championing the initiative, assuring that the Fund would continue to support interventions aimed at improving the quality of tertiary education and preparing Nigerian students for the demands of the digital economy.