By Emmanuella Oghenetega
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has inaugurated an advisory committee on the setting up of Robotics, Cybersecurity, AI Centres In Six (6) universities across the nation’s geopolitical zones.
With a timeframe of 30 days to complete the first phase of assigned task with the panel retaining its role to guide the selected institutions in establishing and developing the centres.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, which took place at the organization’s headquarters in Abuja, the Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, emphasised that the primary assignment of the committee was to guide the selection of institutions to host the new centres.
Revealing, that once operational, the addition would raise the total number of TETFund-supported Centres of Excellence from 30 to 36.
According to the terms of reference, the committee is tasked with identifying institutions that displayed strengths and capacity in Robotics, Coding, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Cybersecurity studies.
He revealed also, that the committee will set criteria and conditions for selecting beneficiary institutions, recommending up to six universities to host the proposed centres, and ensuring representation across the six geopolitical zones as outlined in 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.
He further explained that the centres would be hosted exclusively by public universities, providing students and researchers with state-of-the-art facilities to drive innovation and competitiveness in emerging technological fields.
Echono tasked the committee to deliver high-quality work, reflecting the expertise and professional experience of its members.
Speaking on behalf of the committee, the Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, who was the past Secretary General, Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, pledged that the panel would develop clear, merit-based criteria to identify institutions with proven capacity in Robotics, Coding, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Cybersecurity, while ensuring equitable representation across the six geopolitical zones in line with the provisions of the TETFund Act.
