TETFund’s New Committee To Drive Cybersecurity, Coding, AI In Tertiary Institutions

TETFund’s New Committee To Drive Cybersecurity, Coding, AI In Tertiary Institutions

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has inaugurated a new Advisory Committee to oversee the development of Robotics, Coding, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Cybersecurity across the nation’s tertiary institutions.

TETFund Executive Secretary, Arch Sonny Echono, who inaugurated the committee in Abuja on Tuesday, said it is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s technological capacity in higher education,.

Echono described the initiative as part of the agency’s continuing efforts to enhance the impact of its interventions in critical areas of national relevance.

“This is another day in our continuing efforts to strengthen the implementation machinery of our interventions across our beneficiary institutions, focusing on critical areas of national relevance,” Echono said.

He said the establishment of the new advisory body focuses specifically on IT, innovation, and technological advancement, areas he described as central to bridging the skills gap for Nigeria’s youthful population and preparing them to contribute meaningfully to national and global development.

“These job-ready skills are the dominant in-demand skills required in today’s workplace. We are not only addressing issues around national security but also preparing future generations of our large youthful population to contribute their quota to national development and fill critical skills gaps globally.”

According to him, the committee’s creation comes as part of a broader strategy to expand Nigeria’s technological capacity within tertiary education, saying that TETFund currently oversees about 30 centres of excellence, primarily focused on conventional research fields.

However, he robotics, cybersecurity, and machine learning remain underdeveloped across the nation’s higher education landscape.

To address this, Echono revealed that TETFund secured the President’s approval to establish six additional centres of excellence, deliberately distributed to reflect Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

“We carefully considered the location of these new centres, ensuring representation across all zones, because talent exists throughout the country.

“We also obtained a comprehensive list of beneficiary institutions offering related courses, predominantly in cybersecurity, to guide the selection process,” he stated.

The primary mandate of the new advisory committee, according to Echono, is to guide TETFund in determining the most suitable institutions to host these centres, develop capacity-building strategies, and ensure operational sustainability.

The committee will also provide recommendations on best practices and policy guidance to maximise the impact of these centres.

The committee boasts a carefully selected roster of experts, drawn from academia, regulatory bodies, and the defence sector.

Professor Yakubu Ochefu, former Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities serves as chairman, amongst other distinguished scholars.

Speaking further, the executive secretary  said the terms of reference for the committee are clear and focused, which also include identifying institutions with demonstrable capacity in robotics, coding, AI, and cybersecurity; establishing criteria for the selection of beneficiary institutions; recommending up to six institutions to host the proposed centres; and making additional recommendations to ensure operational efficiency and sustainability.

“The prospects in terms of impact on our national economy, job creation, and wealth generation are enormous. Mr President has approved significant investments for these centres, and we urge the committee to coordinate these efforts diligently.”

Responding on behalf of the committee, Professor Ochefu expressed deep appreciation for the trust placed in the members.

He described the committee as a dream team of Nigerian intellectuals, administrators, and experts, tasked with positioning the nation’s tertiary institutions as key contributors to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“We believe that the Nigerian university system should be a contributor to national development and innovation, not merely a consumer of knowledge.

“This assignment provides an opportunity to align our institutions with global standards, ensuring they add value to the national and global economy.

“We are at a stage in our global system where technologies such as AI, robotics, and cybersecurity are essential to any nation’s development. Countries that fail to invest in these areas risk falling behind,” Ochefu stated.

He also pledged that the committee would adhere strictly to its terms of reference, leveraging its combined intellectual depth, professional expertise, and administrative experience to deliver tangible results.

Ochefu requested that TETFund provide the necessary support and resources to ensure timely and effective execution of their mandate.

The committee is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping curriculum development, fostering industry partnerships, and promoting research that aligns with Nigeria’s national priorities. In addition, it will explore opportunities for international collaboration, ensuring that Nigerian institutions remain competitive in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

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He added: “We will abide strictly, bringing our intellectual depth, professional expertise, and administrative experience to this task. I think the only request we would make is that whatever inputs we need to deliver within the timeframe you require though we have not yet been given a clear sense of that timeline will be made available to us so we can complete the job.

“I believe that my colleagues, especially those of us from academia, view our universities as contributors to national development and innovation, not merely as consumers.

“We believe that the Nigerian university system, and indeed its institutions, need to take their rightful place, just like their counterparts in other parts of the world, in adding value not only to the national economy but also to the broader society.

“We are therefore committed to carrying out this assignment carefully and rigorously, while embracing the vision you and the board have demonstrated in bringing us together. On behalf of the committee, I want to thank you for inaugurating us and to once again pledge that, given the right environment, we will deliver on this assignment diligently,” Ochefu stated. LEADERSHIP