The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has charged Nigerian youths to deploy technology positively to transform their lives, communities and the nation.
Tinubu gave the charge on Tuesday in Malete while commissioning the TETFund/Renewed Hope Initiative ICT Experience Centre at the Kwara State University (KWASU).
Represented by the wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, the First Lady said the centre was built to create opportunity, drive innovation and give hope to young people in Kwara and beyond.
She said the facility is equipped with ICT laboratories, interactive digital displays, conference facilities and exhibition spaces to promote learning, creativity, research and technological advancement.
According to her, the project reflects the commitment of the administration of President Bola Tinubu to advance education and digital inclusion as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda which prioritises youth empowerment, education, innovation and economic transformation.
Tinubu disclosed that KWASU was one of six institutions chosen for the pilot phase of the programme to represent the six geopolitical zones, adding that centres in other zones have already been commissioned while those at Kaduna State University and Taraba State University will be commissioned soon.
She announced that the Federal Government is expanding the programme to 15 more tertiary institutions, noting that construction is already ongoing in Adamawa, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Katsina, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Rivers, Yobe and Zamfara States.
She urged students of the university to take ownership of the facility and use it to learn, innovate and develop solutions that will unlock their full potential.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc Sonny Echono, said the Fund’s Board of Trustees approved about N1bn for each centre in the six zones to equip students and lecturers with skills in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics and software development.
Echono, who was represented by the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Arc Olajide Babatunde, said the initiative was to align Nigeria’s education system with global technology standards and expose beneficiaries to modern technologies applicable in security, agriculture, healthcare, media and mining.
He described the KWASU centre as the third to be commissioned in 2026, noting that it is fully furnished, air-conditioned and supported with power and municipal infrastructure to provide a conducive environment for practical learning and innovation.
He commended the First Lady for her passion for youth empowerment and urged the university management to maintain and secure the equipment and keep it updated.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of KWASU, Prof. Shaykh-Luqman Jimoh, described the centre as a strategic investment in human capital and the future of Nigeria, saying it represented vision and belief in Nigerian youths.
He appreciated the First Lady for facilitating the intervention and assured that the university will put the facility to maximum use for students, researchers and the wider community.
