TETFund Digital Centres and access to technology in Nigerian institutions

For many students in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, the challenge of participating fully in the digital side of education is not simply about knowing how to use a computer.

It is also about having access to the computer, reliable internet, electricity and the digital resources required to learn, research and compete in an increasingly technology-driven world.

That gap is at the heart of a new intervention by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, (TETFund), which is rolling out ICT Digital Experience Centres across beneficiary institutions nationwide.

At the commissioning of the ICT Digital Experience Centre at the University of Cross River State, UNICROSS, Calabar, on September 6, 2026, TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, said the project would eventually be extended to all of the fund’s more than 270 beneficiary institutions.

The UNICROSS facility is one of six centres selected as pioneer beneficiaries under the initiative. The centres are designed to provide students with access to computers, digital resources and high-speed internet without requiring them to pay for the use of the facilities.

Echono said the national ambition was clear: “We intend to cascade it to every institution. Every institution that is a beneficiary must have a centre like this on campus.”

That statement places the project within a much larger vision than the construction of isolated ICT facilities. It signals an attempt to make digital access a standard component of the tertiary education experience across TETFund-supported institutions.

From ICT centres to digital access

The importance of the intervention lies partly in the realities faced by students.

While smartphones have become widespread, a smartphone does not necessarily provide the same capacity as a computer for academic research, programming, data analysis, graphic design, online examinations, document production and other forms of digital learning.

The cost of purchasing a laptop, paying for internet data and securing reliable electricity can also place students from low-income households at a disadvantage.

Echono said the centres were specifically designed to address this problem by providing students who could not afford personal computers or regular internet subscriptions with access to the necessary digital infrastructure.

“It’s Wi-Fi-based. You just come in here, you can connect, and even the use of the facilities is at zero cost to them,” he said.

For students, the implication is straightforward. A lack of personal computing equipment would no longer necessarily mean being excluded from digital academic activities, provided the centres are properly maintained and accessible.

The plan also includes alternative power supply and round-the-clock internet connectivity. Echono described the intended model as one where students would have access to “24-hour light and 24-hour data internet.”

That element is particularly significant in an environment where interruptions in public electricity supply can affect academic activities and access to online resources.

Building a wider digital ecosystem

The proposed centres are also intended to serve purposes beyond typing assignments or browsing the internet.

Echono said the facilities would support academic work, innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and access to educational content from around the world.

This broader objective becomes more important as universities and other tertiary institutions increasingly depend on digital platforms for teaching, research, collaboration and access to global knowledge.

Echono said the centres would eventually be integrated with TETFund’s TERAS platform, giving students access to educational materials, discoveries and other resources.

“By the time we integrate these centres with our TERAS platform, they will have access to any material, any discovery and any guidance that they will need to be creative, innovative and to participate in any digital or online activity,” he said.

The significance of this vision is that the physical building is only one part of the intervention. Its long-term value will depend on how effectively the infrastructure is connected to digital content, academic resources and opportunities.

A modern ICT centre can provide computers and internet access, but its impact can become considerably wider when students can use those resources to acquire new skills, conduct research, develop products and connect with opportunities beyond their campuses.

Phased national rollout

The programme is being implemented in phases.

According to Echono, six centres were included in the first phase, while another 15 were expected to be completed before the end of January 2027.

Work was also ongoing on about 50 other facilities across beneficiary institutions. Some involve upgrading existing ICT centres, while others require the construction of new facilities.

Echono said the centres were being designed with a minimum of 200 laptops and computers.

“All in all, we are talking about at least 63, or even more, of these facilities in the next couple of months,” he said.

The scale of the proposed expansion is significant because it moves the conversation from a pilot project involving a handful of institutions to a nationwide digital infrastructure programme.

The six pioneer institutions represent the six geopolitical zones. Apart from UNICROSS in the South-South, they include Ekiti State University in the South-West, Federal Polytechnic Oko in the South-East, Kaduna State University in the North-West, Kwara State University in the North-Central and Taraba State University in the North-East.

The pilot model therefore provides an opportunity to test how the centres function in different institutional and regional environments before the wider rollout.

Implications

Echono’s remarks at the commissioning point to three major implications for the institutions involved: access, opportunity and digital inclusion. First is access.

Students without personal laptops or the financial capacity to purchase internet subscriptions would have a place where they can access digital resources. This could reduce one of the barriers between students who have personal digital infrastructure and those who do not.

Second is opportunity. The centres are expected to support entrepreneurship, online work and digital skills development. That could give students the opportunity to use their time on campus to develop competencies that extend beyond their formal academic programmes.

Third is digital inclusion. By targeting all TETFund beneficiary institutions, the initiative seeks to make access to technology less dependent on the financial circumstances of individual students.

This is particularly relevant as employers increasingly expect graduates to possess digital competencies alongside their academic qualifications.

Sustainability

The commissioning of an ICT centre marks the beginning rather than the end of the process.

For the facilities to deliver the outcomes envisioned by TETFund, issues such as maintenance, internet reliability, electricity, security, equipment replacement and student access will matter.

The sustainability of the centres will therefore be as important as their construction.

Echono’s emphasis on round-the-clock services also raises the importance of operational management. Keeping a centre open for extended periods requires functioning equipment, adequate staffing, security and dependable technical support.

The institutions will consequently have a major role to play in ensuring that the facilities remain active and useful after the commissioning ceremonies are over.

The ultimate measure of the programme will not simply be the number of buildings constructed or computers installed. It will be reflected in what students are able to do with the infrastructure.

If students can conduct better research, acquire digital skills, participate in online learning, develop businesses, access global academic resources and create new solutions, the centres could become important parts of the academic life of their institutions.

The new campuses

The traditional image of a university campus is changing.

Classrooms, libraries and laboratories remain central to education, but digital connectivity has become an equally important gateway to knowledge. A student can now take courses from universities abroad, collaborate with researchers in another country, access international journals, learn a new technology or build a digital enterprise without leaving campus.

That reality explains the significance of Echono’s declaration that every TETFund beneficiary institution should eventually have a centre of this nature.

The objective is not merely to provide students with computers. It is to make digital access part of the infrastructure of learning.

As the rollout expands from the six pioneer institutions to dozens of campuses and eventually to more than 270 beneficiary institutions, the success of the programme will depend on whether the centres become living spaces of learning, experimentation and innovation.

The UNICROSS centre, commissioned in Calabar on September 6, 2026, therefore represents more than a new building equipped with computers and internet connectivity.

It is a test of a broader proposition: that access to technology should increasingly be treated as a basic component of modern tertiary education, and that students should have the tools required not only to study for examinations but also to participate meaningfully in the digital economy.

TETFund is clear with this intervention: the ambition now goes beyond commissioning six centres. The real challenge is turning that ambition into a sustainable nationwide network that gives students, regardless of their personal circumstances, a reliable gateway to the digital world.