Education
NUC Approves Establishment of Second Ebonyi State University of ICT, Science and Technology in Oferekpe
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted approval for the establishment of the Ebonyi State University of ICT, Science and Technology, located in Oferekpe.
During a presentation of the recognition letter to Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State on Thursday, NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, announced that this institution is now recognized as the 66th state university in Nigeria and the 278th within the Nigerian University System.
Prof. Ribadu indicated that a copy of the recognition letter would be sent to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
However, he emphasized that the university will only initiate its academic activities following a thorough resource verification process.
“We want to express our readiness to support this emerging university. It is important to clarify that the issuance of a recognition letter does not equate to the commencement of academic activities. A resource verification will still be required,” he stated. “The Commission will visit the university when it is prepared and will assess the infrastructure, classrooms, library, and staffing.”
Once the verification is complete, the Commission will provide approval for the university to commence academic operations.
Governor Nwifuru highlighted that the university was established in 2021 with the goal of enhancing access to higher education.
“The establishment of this university aims to increase access to quality and affordable tertiary education, particularly for state indigenes, and to provide opportunities for all to pursue higher education. This initiative is essential to meet the technological manpower needs of both the state and the nation, especially in this rapidly evolving tech-driven world,” he remarked.
The Governor also assured that adequate funding would be allocated to the university, stating, “We understand the importance of sufficient funding for the sustainability of such an institution. Under my administration, Ebonyi State will commit to ensuring that adequate budgetary provisions, both capital and recurrent, are made available consistently to support the academic growth, relevance, and quality assurance of this new institution.”
Regarding the university’s gradual development, he informed the Executive Secretary that the state government has already invested significantly in constructing several key buildings on the university campus in Oferekpe, Agbaja, Izzi LGA. Current construction projects include the Senate Building, Staff Quarters, Students’ Hostels, Faculty Buildings, and the University Library, all at various stages of completion.
In terms of the critical manpower necessary for the university’s development, the Governor announced, “I am pleased to inform you that the principal officers have been appointed by my government. Additionally, just last Saturday, I launched the Ebonyi State scholarship program, which is training approximately 1,000 students for Master’s and Doctorate degrees, both locally and internationally.”
He concluded by stating that these graduates will be integrated into various tertiary institutions across Ebonyi State to contribute to the development of human capital in the region.
In a bid to contribute to educational advancement and development, the Neo-Black Movement (NBM) of Africa, Obafemi Owode Sub Zone, under the Ogun Region, has donated educational materials to selected government primary schools in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The initiative aligns with the Support-A-School-Child Project, spearheaded by the national leadership of NBM, aimed at bolstering education across Nigeria.
The donation was presented by Ambassador Tehinse Olanrewaju Ayoola on behalf of the Obafemi Owode Sub Zone.
Speaking at the event, Ayoola emphasised that the gesture would be an ongoing effort, particularly considering that Obafemi Owode is the largest local government area in Ogun State.
He urged students to remain focused on their studies while steering clear of cultism, drug abuse, and other social vices.
According to him, guiding young students in the right direction is crucial in preventing them from straying onto the wrong path.
The beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to NBM of Africa, Obafemi Owode Sub Zone, for their support and prayed for the continued growth of the movement.
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has unveiled its initiative to establish 18 new Innovation Hubs in tertiary institutions throughout Nigeria in 2025. This effort aims to bolster the nation’s research and innovation landscape.
During the closing ceremony of the 30th Cohort of the Research for Impact (R4i) initiative, held at the Innov8 Technology Hub in Abuja, TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Arch. Sonny Echono, shared the details of this ambitious project.
Echono emphasized that this initiative reflects TETFund’s dedication to nurturing a culture of problem-solving research, entrepreneurship, and technological progress. He highlighted the critical role of education and research in fostering national development and sustainable growth.
The R4i program, developed in partnership with Innov8 Technology Hub, is designed to enhance the capabilities of researchers and academics, empowering them to conduct innovative research that directly addresses societal challenges.
The Fund is committed to institutionalizing Research & Development (R&D) within Nigerian universities and fostering connections between research and industry. Echono explained that the phased establishment of Innovation Hubs and Entrepreneurship Centres will enable participants to apply their skills continuously and mentor others in their innovative endeavors.
He acknowledged the importance of research in enhancing the quality of life in the nation and expressed gratitude to Innov8 for its collaboration in transforming the innovation ecosystem. Participants were encouraged to leverage their training to develop impactful innovations for their institutions and communities.
“I am pleased to recognize the impressive commitment displayed by participants of previous cohorts during their training, which led to significant innovations addressing various societal needs,” Echono remarked.
He also noted that several innovations from prior editions were showcased at the inaugural TETFund National Research Fair/Exhibition in November 2024, and he expressed confidence that the current cohort would similarly demonstrate their innovative outputs.
Echono detailed the phased funding approach for establishing Innovation Hubs and Entrepreneurship Centres, stating that the first phase will involve 12 institutions under the 2023 intervention, followed by 18 institutions in the 2024 intervention, and another 18 in 2025.
“These facilities will empower program participants to implement what they have learned at the innovation hubs and guide others,” he added.
Professor Idris M. Bugaje, Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), also addressed the audience, underscoring the necessity of patenting innovations and registering trade names for intellectual property protection. He urged Nigerian polytechnics to spearhead practical innovation by applying scientific principles to develop products and technologies that could enhance Nigeria’s technological status.
Bugaje criticized the country’s dependence on foreign manufactured goods, such as vehicles and electronics, and called for a shift towards local production. He cited examples from Rwanda and Uganda, encouraging polytechnics to promote teamwork and take proactive measures to demonstrate Nigeria’s innovative capabilities, thereby contributing to the national economy.
“I believe many of the innovations you have showcased are patentable, as securing patents is a crucial step in innovation. You must protect your ideas and discoveries. Furthermore, if any names have been proposed, trade name registration is also essential,” he stated.
He emphasized the urgent need for innovation in Nigeria, reminding attendees that despite being one of the world’s largest economies, Nigeria lacks a recognizable indigenous technology. “This training is vital as it fosters teamwork, which is integral to the innovation process,” he concluded.
Mr. Edward Singhatey, Director at Innov8 Hub, encouraged participants to take the knowledge gained back to their institutions and share it with their students to foster innovation. “We must focus on commercializing our research,” he urged, motivating attendees to utilize the resources at their disposal effectively.
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) says it will partner with relevant agencies to boost Artificial Intelligence (AI) studies in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Mr Sonny Echono, said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday.
He said the Fund had drastically scaled up textbook production in addition to other initiatives such as ICT centres to position Nigeria as a leader in AI in Africa.
He said this was part of TETFund’s contribution to the nation’s quest to tap into the multi-trillion dollars global digital economy.
According to him, AI is one of the few subject areas where the Fund could send scholars abroad for further training because it had not fully developed in Nigeria.
“We don’t send anybody outside anymore. But AI is a new and expanding field. It is one of the few areas we are training people abroad because we want to lead in Africa,’’ he told NAN.
He said the Fund had supported the development of AI textbooks, covering topics such as AI in teaching and learning, ethics, and curriculum development.
Echono said the aim was to boost the use of AI and to get the tertiary institutions to begin to exploit and use it in teaching and learning.
He said that in addition to book development, TETFund had trained over 3,000 scholars in AI and emerging ICT trends in the last two years in collaboration with leading institutions.
He explained that the initiative had resulted in the ICT training of over 17,000 educators through the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) programme.
“We started with general ICT training because we’ve been doing a lot of ICT training. If the teacher is not ICT-savvy, even for him to put his lecture on the platform is a problem.
“For him to interact with the students on the platform or to send his mark, to do his marking scheme, to relate, to get presentations, even zoom meetings would be a problem he must be ICT literate.
“After that we started letting them understand how they can use ICT, how they can leverage on it to improve the quality of their delivery and the experiences of their students,” he said.
“We want to leapfrog others in ICT, robotics. We are coming very strong in robotics now, but we are late comers, some people are already doing it before us.
“But we don’t want anybody to be ahead of us on this continent. So we are pushing those frontiers,” he said.
Echono also said that the present TETFund management inherited a stagnated book development programme that published only 20 books in 13 years.
He said that upon assuming office in 2022, he challenged the book development committee to meet ambitious targets of producing more books.
“I said, in the first year, you must do 50, if not I’m going to disband it, we’re wasting money coming to do meetings, talking, and not seeing the books.
“Later, I said I want to see up to 100 books being published and they said it can be done. We’ll give you all the support, publicise and advertise to Nigerian authors.
“We identified the subjects where we do not have enough textbooks. We Tasked the professors and all the experts in that field to put things in order..
Echono said this challenge spurred the book development committee as TETFund published 50 books in 2023, another 60 shortly after with another tranche of 50 textbooks published recently.
He explained that another batch of 50 textbooks was currently in under production. (NAN)