First Lady Inaugurates N1bn ICT Experience Centre at EKSU, Advances AI-Driven Learning Agenda

Gbenga  Sodeinde in Ado-Ekiti

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

The state-of-the-art facility, facilitated through the Renewed Hope Initiative in partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), is expected to enhance digital learning, research, innovation and technology-driven education within the institution.

Speaking during the inauguration, Mrs Tinubu said the intervention was part of broader efforts by the administration of President Bola Tinubu to strengthen educational opportunities and prepare young Nigerians for emerging global realities shaped by technology and artificial intelligence.

She noted that the ICT Experience Centre would provide students with access to modern digital tools and learning platforms capable of improving 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 delight at being in Ekiti State and assured residents that more developmental interventions in critical sectors, including agriculture, healthcare and economic empowerment would be extended to the state.

The event drew an array 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, alongside lawmakers, government officials and political stakeholders.

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

According to him, 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 commended Senator Tinubu for facilitating the project and also expressed appreciation to Governor Oyebanji, his wife, and TETFund for their continued support towards the growth and development of the university.

Providing details on the project, a representative of TETFund, Hon. Sunday Adepoju, disclosed that EKSU was one of the six universities selected across the country’s six geo-political zones to benefit from the 2024 ICT Experience Centre intervention programme.

He explained that the facility, valued at over N1 billion, was 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 underscored TETFund’s commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s agenda of modernising tertiary education through technology-driven initiatives.

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

He noted 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.