The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is spearheading a major initiative to establish Centres of Excellence in Robotics, Coding, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, and Cybersecurity across six public universities in Nigeria. Executive Secretary Sonny Echono announced the plan during the inauguration of an advisory committee tasked with selecting beneficiary institutions.
Addressing the Digital Skills Gap
Nigeria has long struggled with a shortage of high-level digital skills despite producing about 2,500 AI graduates annually and employing roughly 50,000 AI workers. Industry reports indicate this number is far below the requirements of the growing tech ecosystem. The deficit stems from limited specialised training facilities, with many institutions relying on theoretical instruction due to inadequate laboratories and computing infrastructure. Only 31% of African universities offer dedicated AI programmes, and 34% provide data science degrees.
Strategic Investment in Innovation
The proposed centres aim to transform universities into engines of deep-tech innovation, producing solutions tailored to Nigeria's unique challenges. By embedding advanced research and training, the initiative seeks to nurture a new generation of technology-driven enterprises. Currently, Nigeria hosts over 430 fintech companies and more than 3,000 tech startups, but the innovation ecosystem relies heavily on imported technologies and foreign expertise. The centres are expected to strengthen indigenous capacity and reduce this dependence.
Nigeria ranks 103rd out of 127 countries in the 2025 Network Readiness Index, underscoring the urgency of such investments. Experts believe the centres will address longstanding gaps in digital innovation capacity, enabling universities to serve as hubs for research and startup incubation.
Advisory Committee and Selection Process
The advisory committee, chaired by Professor Yakubu Ochefu, immediate past Secretary General of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, will develop merit-based criteria to identify institutions with proven strengths in robotics, coding, AI, machine learning, and cybersecurity. The committee will recommend up to six universities, ensuring representation across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones as outlined in the TETFund Act of 2011.
Echono emphasised that the centres are not only about national security but also about preparing future generations to contribute to national development and fill global knowledge and skills gaps. He noted that President Bola Tinubu approved the establishment of at least six additional Centres of Excellence, to be hosted exclusively by public universities.
Role of the Centres
The facilities will provide students and researchers with state-of-the-art equipment to drive innovation and competitiveness in emerging technologies. Ochefu highlighted that countries successful in the digital economy have deliberately invested in advanced research hubs that nurture talent, encourage academia-industry collaboration, and translate ideas into commercially viable solutions. He believes the centres will serve as incubation hubs for startups and technology-driven enterprises, connecting researchers, students, and industry players to accelerate innovation and create opportunities for young Nigerians to build globally competitive tech companies.
The first phase of the committee's work is expected to be completed within 30 days, after which the panel will continue to guide selected institutions in establishing and developing the centres.
Impact on Nigeria's Digital Future
Experts view the proposed Centres of Excellence as a potential turning point in Nigeria's digital development journey. By strengthening research capacity, expanding specialised training, and fostering university-industry partnerships, the initiative could deepen the country's talent pool in emerging technologies while accelerating the growth of knowledge-driven startups. As AI, robotics, machine learning, and cybersecurity reshape global economies, Nigeria's ability to compete will increasingly depend on developing its human capital and innovation infrastructure. The establishment of these centres signals recognition that the future of the country's digital economy will be built not only in boardrooms and tech hubs but also in university laboratories where the next generation of innovators is trained.
