The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has unveiled plans to establish six new centres of excellence in Nigeria’s institutions of higher learning, raising the total number of research hubs across the country to 36.
In May, 2020, former President Muhammadu Buhari approved the establishment of the first 12 centres of excellence, hosted by federal universities, with two in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Mandated to drive a paradigm shift towards research excellence and national development, the initiative expanded in subsequent years with additional centres added in several polytechnics and colleges of education.
In 2024, the federal government, however, threatened to stop funding some of the centres over poor performance.
Tahir Mamman, then minister of education, said the government would not continue to reward indolence.
In a statement on Wednesday, Sonny Echono, executive secretary of TETFund, said new centres of excellence will be established in six tertiary institutions amid the growing public concern.
Echono noted that an advisory committee has been established to oversee the programme.
He said the primary assignment of the panel, chaired by Yakubu Ochefu, former secretary-general, committee of vice chancellors of Nigerian universities, is to guide the selection of institutions to host the new centres.
“According to the terms of reference, the committee is tasked with identifying institutions that have demonstrable strengths and capacity in Robotics, Coding, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Cybersecurity studies,” the statement said.
“It will also set criteria and conditions for selecting beneficiary institutions as well as recommend up to six universities to host the proposed centres, ensuring representation across the six geopolitical zones as outlined in the TETFund Act of 2011.”
The TETFund executive secretary stated that the new centres will address not only national security, but also prepare Nigerian youths to contribute meaningfully to national development by filling the knowledge and skills gaps globally.
“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 said.
According to him, 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.
He noted that the first phase of the committee’s work will be completed in 30 days, with the panel retaining its role to guide the select institutions in establishing and developing the centres.
Echono urged the committee to deliver high-quality work, reflecting the expertise and professional experience of its members.
Responding, Ochefu said the panel would develop clear, merit-based criteria to identify institutions with proven capacity in the stipulated areas, while ensuring equitable representation across the six geopolitical zones in line with the provisions of the TETFund Act.
