By Chibuike Nwabuko
ILORIN (PRECISE POST) – First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has commissioned the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund)/Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) ICT Experience Centre at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, as part of efforts to equip Nigerian youths with digital skills and promote innovation in tertiary institutions.
Tinubu disclosed this in a statement posted on her official X handle on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, following the commissioning ceremony held on Tuesday, September 15.
The First Lady was represented at the event by the wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima.
The University of Ilorin centre is one of six institutions selected for the pilot phase of the ICT Experience Centre initiative, with one institution representing each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
According to Tinubu, similar centres have already been commissioned at Ekiti State University on May 30, University of Cross River State on September 4 and Anambra State Polytechnic on September 10, 2026.
She added that centres at Kaduna State University and Taraba State University had also been completed and were awaiting commissioning.
The First Lady, however, disclosed that the initiative would be expanded beyond the six pilot institutions, with plans underway to establish centres in 15 additional tertiary institutions across the country.
The institutions are located in Adamawa, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Katsina, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Rivers, Yobe and Zamfara states, with construction already ongoing.
Tinubu said the centres were designed to provide young Nigerians with modern facilities capable of supporting learning, creativity, research and technological advancement.
The facilities are equipped with ICT laboratories, interactive digital displays, conference facilities and exhibition spaces.
Describing the intervention as an investment in the future of Nigerian youths, the First Lady said the centre represented “opportunity, innovation, knowledge, and hope” for young people.
She urged students to take ownership of the facility and use the opportunities provided by the centre to acquire knowledge and technological skills that could positively transform their lives, communities and the country.
Also speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Architect Sonny Echono, who was represented by Architect Olajide Babatunde, said the centre would help prepare Nigerian youths for the rapidly changing technological landscape.
He said beneficiaries would have opportunities to develop skills in emerging fields including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and robotics.
According to him, the intervention would also contribute to bridging Nigeria’s digital skills gap and improving the employability of graduates.
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, urged the University of Ilorin to maximise the opportunities provided by the facility to promote innovation, create employment opportunities and develop practical solutions to challenges confronting society.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Shaykh-Luqman Alade Jimoh, described the centre as an investment in Nigeria’s future, noting that it would strengthen research, entrepreneurship and the university’s engagement with its host community.
Tinubu said the intervention reflected the commitment of the TETFund/RHI partnership to expanding opportunities for Nigerian youths to acquire relevant digital skills and participate meaningfully in the country’s technological future.
She said the expansion from the pilot institutions to 15 additional tertiary institutions would further widen access to modern ICT facilities and create more opportunities for young Nigerians to learn, innovate and contribute to national development.
