By Felix Khanoba
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has unveiled plans to set up six additional Centres of Excellence in Robotics, Coding, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Cybersecurity across Nigerian tertiary institutions.
With the proposed additions, the number of Centres of Excellence supported by the Fund will increase from 30 to 36 once the new facilities become operational.
The announcement was made at the Fund’s headquarters in Abuja during the inauguration of TETFund’s Advisory Committee on Robotics, Coding, AI, Machine Learning Centres and Cybersecurity. Speaking at the event, Executive Secretary of the agency, Arc. Sonny Echono, explained that the committee has been mandated to oversee the process of selecting institutions that will host the centres.
The committee is chaired by Professor Yakubu Ochefu, the immediate past Secretary General of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.
In line with its terms of reference, the committee will identify universities with proven strengths and capacity in Robotics, Coding, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Cybersecurity. It is also expected to design the eligibility criteria and selection conditions for beneficiary institutions, and recommend up to six universities to host the centres. The distribution of the centres will reflect the six geopolitical zones as stipulated in the TETFund Act of 2011.
Arc. Echono underscored the strategic relevance of the initiative, stating, “We are not only addressing issues around national security, but we are also preparing future generations of our youthful population to contribute meaningfully to national development and to fill knowledge and skills gaps globally.
“We secured Mr. President’s approval to establish at least six additional centres of excellence across the country. This is deliberate, as we aim to reflect all six geopolitical zones, while tapping into the abundant talents that exist in Nigeria.”
He clarified that the centres would be domiciled strictly in public universities, where students and researchers would have access to state-of-the-art facilities aimed at strengthening innovation and enhancing Nigeria’s competitiveness in emerging technology sectors.
The Executive Secretary directed that the initial phase of the committee’s assignment be concluded within 30 days. He added that the panel would continue to provide guidance to the selected institutions during the establishment and development stages of the centres. He further urged members to ensure that their output reflects their professional competence and expertise.
In his response, the committee chairman, Prof. Ochefu, assured that the panel would formulate transparent and merit-based criteria to identify institutions with established capacity in Robotics, Coding, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Cybersecurity. He added that the selection process would guarantee fair representation across the six geopolitical zones in accordance with the provisions of the TETFund Act.
