By Felix Khanoba
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has commissioned a ₦1bn Information and Communication Technology Digital Experience Centre at the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), Calabar, aimed at expanding access to digital tools and skills among students, particularly those unable to afford personal devices.
The state-of-the-art facility, established under the Renewed Hope Initiative in collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), provides students with free access to laptops, desktop computers and other digital learning resources.
Commissioning the centre at the university’s main campus in Calabar on Friday, Tinubu said the facility would enable students to learn, innovate and acquire digital competencies without being constrained by the cost of devices or unreliable electricity supply.
She said the project was part of a broader national initiative designed to extend digital opportunities to tertiary institutions across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with selected institutions serving as beneficiaries in the pilot phase.
Other institutions listed among the beneficiaries include Ekiti State University, Federal Polytechnic Oko in Anambra State, Kaduna State University, Kwara State University and Taraba State University.
Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, commended the initiative, describing the digital centre as a major investment in education and the technological empowerment of young people in the state.
Otu said the facility would contribute to narrowing the digital gap among students while equipping them with relevant skills to compete in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the TETFund Board of Trustees, Rt. Hon. Aminu Masari, disclosed that UNICROSS was one of six institutions selected as pioneer beneficiaries of the Fund’s strategic ICT intervention under its 2024 activities.
Masari said TETFund approved the establishment of an ICT Experience Centre in each of the six geopolitical zones at a cost of ₦1bn per zone, with UNICROSS designated to host the South-South centre.
According to him, the facility would expose students and lecturers to emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics and software development.
He added that the centre would also facilitate exposure to technologies with applications in critical sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, security, media and mining.
Masari said the intervention was designed to improve graduate employability, stimulate innovation and prepare Nigerian youths for greater participation in the global technology economy.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, said the project underscored the Fund’s commitment to expanding digital infrastructure and technology-enabled learning in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
Echono commended the First Lady for supporting initiatives focused on youth empowerment, saying her commitment had provided significant encouragement for programmes of the kind.
He also praised the management of UNICROSS for its cooperation in the execution of the project, urging the institution to ensure that the centre and its equipment were properly maintained, secured and periodically upgraded.
According to him, TETFund would continue to invest in initiatives capable of strengthening digital capacity in tertiary institutions.
He stressed that the centres should be viewed beyond physical infrastructure, describing them as platforms for opening up opportunities for young Nigerians and supporting the country’s transition towards a knowledge-based and technologically empowered economy.
Echono further said the facility would give students access to contemporary digital resources while creating an enabling environment for research, learning and skills development.
He noted that students without personal digital devices would particularly benefit from the initiative, as it would help reduce disparities in access to technology and education.
He reaffirmed TETFund’s commitment to interventions that improve the quality of tertiary education and equip Nigerian students with the skills required to thrive in the digital economy.
