The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has disclosed plans to replicate its newly commissioned ICT Digital Experience Centres across all its more than 270 beneficiary institutions nationwide.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, made this known in an interview at the commissioning of an ICT Digital Experience Centre at the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), Calabar.
The centre was commissioned by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Echono said the initiative, implemented in partnership with the First Lady, is designed to bridge the digital divide in tertiary institutions.
He said the goal is to give students, particularly those who cannot afford personal computers and internet subscriptions, free access to digital devices, online resources and high-speed internet.
Echono stressed that the current rollout is only the beginning.
“We intend to cascade it to every institution. Every institution that is a beneficiary must have a centre like this on campus,” he declared.
According to him, the centres will provide students with digital resources needed for academic work, innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and access to educational content from anywhere in the world.
“By the time we integrate these centres with our TERAS platform, they will have access to any material, any discovery and any guidance that they will need to be creative, innovative and to participate in any digital or online activity,” he said.
Echono disclosed that TETFund has commenced a phased rollout, with six facilities commissioned in the first phase.
Another 15 centres are expected to be completed before the end of January 2027.
He added that work is also ongoing on about 50 other facilities across beneficiary institutions, either through the upgrading of existing ICT centres or the construction of new ones equipped with a minimum of 200 laptops and computers.
“All in all, we are talking about at least 63, or even more, of these facilities in the next couple of months,” he said.
Echono said the centres will be equipped with alternative power supply and 24-hour internet connectivity, allowing students round-the-clock access regardless of public electricity availability.
“On every campus, you will have a facility like this, an ICT centre where not only will you have the computers and the other digital resources, but you will also have 24-hour light and 24-hour data internet,” he said.
He emphasised that access to the facilities will come at zero cost to students, especially those who cannot afford laptops or data subscriptions.
“It’s Wi-Fi-based. You just come in here, you can connect, and even the use of the facilities is at zero cost to them. Students who cannot afford to buy their own laptops can come here and use this facility 24 hours a day. You can come and use it, do your assignment, do anything you want to do. It’s at no cost,” he said.
Echono said the initiative will go beyond conventional academic support, adding that the centres will also give young Nigerians opportunities to develop digital skills, access online jobs and pursue self-employment.
The UNICROSS centre is one of six institutions nationwide selected as pioneer beneficiaries of the ICT intervention under TETFund’s 2024 activities.
The TETFund Board approved the establishment of an ICT Experience Centre in each of the country’s six geopolitical zones, at a cost of N1 billion per zone, with UNICROSS designated to host the South-South centre.
Other pioneer institutions in the pilot phase include Ekiti State University (South West), Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State (South East), Kaduna State University (North West), Kwara State University (North Central) and Taraba State University (North East).
Digital Operations Manager at The Students Forum Nigeria.
