By Saka Laaro, Ilorin
Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, has been chosen as one of the six pilot universities for the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Office of the First Lady’s initiative to establish ICT Experience Centres in public tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
According to a letter addressed to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shaykh-Luqman Jimoh, and signed by the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Architect Sonny S.T. Echono, KWASU was selected as a pilot institution for the project.
The letter stated that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, in collaboration with the Office of the First Lady, is championing the establishment of ICT Experience Centres in furtherance of the joint initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Federal Ministry of Communication, Technology, and Digital Economy Learn to Earn Programme.
It added that the project, which is part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government, aims to provide undergraduates with tailored technological education and opportunities to thrive in the digital era.
“The primary objective of the ICT Experience Centres is to empower undergraduates and institutions of learning with skills, infrastructure, and mindset necessary to excel in a digitally driven world.
“Your Institution has been chosen for the first phase/pilot programme of this initiative,” it added.
Six pilot ICT Experience Centres, one in each geopolitical zone of the country, constitute the pilot stage.
Reacting to the development, the Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University, Professor Shaykh-Luqman Jimoh, described the selection of KWASU as elating and indicative of the strategic positioning of the institution as a hub for the training of 21st century individuals who contribute significantly to national development.