First Lady Opens N1 bn ICT Experience Centre at EKSU, Boosts AI‑Driven Learning Initiative

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado‑Ekiti

In a move to reposition Nigeria’s tertiary education for the digital economy, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, inaugurated a N1 billion Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Experience Centre at Ekiti State University (EKSU) in Ado‑Ekiti on Saturday. She described the facility as a strategic investment in innovation, artificial intelligence and future‑ready skills for Nigerian youths.

The state‑of‑the‑art centre was created through the Renewed Hope Initiative in partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). It is expected to boost digital learning, research, innovation and technology‑driven education at the university.

During the ceremony, Mrs Tinubu said the project was part of President Bola Tinubu’s broader efforts to strengthen educational opportunities and prepare young Nigerians for the emerging global realities shaped by technology and artificial intelligence.

She added that the ICT Experience Centre would give students access to modern digital tools and learning platforms that could enhance academic excellence, innovation and entrepreneurship.

“This partnership with TETFund under the Renewed Hope Initiative is designed to improve educational opportunities and equip young Nigerians with relevant digital skills for the future,” she said.

The First Lady also expressed her pleasure at being in Ekiti State and assured residents that further developmental interventions in critical sectors—agriculture, healthcare and economic empowerment—would be extended to the state.

The event was attended by a host of dignitaries, including the wife of the Vice‑President, Hajia Nana Shettima; Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman‑Ibrahim; Senate Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele; Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji; and his wife, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, along with lawmakers, government officials and political stakeholders.

In his remarks, EKSU Vice‑Chancellor Professor Joseph Babatola Ayodele described the ICT Experience Centre as a transformative intervention that would significantly improve teaching, learning, research and innovation at the university.

He said the facility represents a major milestone in the institution’s drive to align with global technological trends and expand opportunities for students and researchers in the digital age.

Ayodele thanked Senator Tinubu for facilitating the project and expressed appreciation to Governor Oyebanji, his wife and TETFund for their continued support of the university’s growth and development.

A TETFund representative, Hon Sunday Adepoju, explained that EKSU was one of six universities selected across the country’s six geo‑political zones to benefit from the 2024 ICT Experience Centre intervention programme.

He noted that the facility, valued at over N1 billion, is equipped with cutting‑edge digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence tools designed to expose students to emerging technologies and improve their competitiveness in the global knowledge economy.

Adepoju said the intervention underscores TETFund’s commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s agenda of modernising tertiary education through technology‑driven initiatives.

Also speaking, EKSU Chancellor Dr Tunji Olowolafe hailed the First Lady for facilitating what he described as a landmark intervention that would positively impact generations of students.

He added that beyond improving digital literacy, the facility would deepen innovation, strengthen research capacity and create opportunities for students to develop practical skills required in an increasingly technology‑driven world.

The inauguration of the ICT Experience Centre is widely seen as a significant boost to EKSU’s digital transformation agenda and a further indication of the Federal Government’s commitment to leveraging technology and artificial intelligence to improve the quality and relevance of higher education in Nigeria.