The Nigerian federal government has given the go-ahead for the establishment of six additional Centres of Excellence, which will concentrate on areas such as robotics, coding, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cybersecurity within select tertiary institutions. Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), announced this development in Abuja during the inauguration of the TETFund Advisory Committee for these specialised centres and cybersecurity initiatives.
These new centres are set to bring the total number of TETFund-supported Centres of Excellence across the nation to 36, enhancing Nigeria's capabilities in cutting-edge technology and fostering innovation. The newly formed committee is headed by Professor Yakubu Ochefu, the immediate past Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.
Echono stated that the committee's main task is to guide the selection process for the institutions that will host these upcoming centres. The committee has been tasked with identifying institutions that possess established strengths and clear capabilities in robotics, coding, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cybersecurity.
Furthermore, the committee is expected to formulate precise criteria and conditions for the selection process. It will then recommend up to six public universities to serve as host institutions, ensuring that each of Nigeria's six geopolitical zones is represented, in accordance with the stipulations of the TETFund Act of 2011.
"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," Echono remarked.
He added, "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."
Echono clarified that these centres would exclusively be located in public universities, providing students and researchers with access to advanced facilities. This initiative aims to boost innovation, enhance research output, and improve global competitiveness in rapidly evolving technological fields.
Echono instructed the committee to complete the initial phase of its assignment within a 30-day timeframe. He also noted that the panel would continue to offer guidance in supporting the selected institutions as they establish and develop these centres, urging members to leverage their professional expertise and experience.
In response, Ochefu pledged that the committee would implement transparent, merit-based selection criteria. He assured that only universities demonstrating genuine capacity in robotics, coding, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cybersecurity would be chosen, ensuring fair representation across the six geopolitical zones as mandated by the TETFund Act.
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to comment.
Be the first to comment on this article!