Chancellor of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, has described the educational reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration as “transformational and phenomenal,” saying they have ushered in one of the most ambitious overhauls of Nigeria’s education sector in recent history.
Speaking at the commissioning of the TETFund-sponsored ICT Experience Centre at EKSU on Saturday, Olowolafe said the facility marked the realization of a 45-year-old dream and would serve as a gateway to digital literacy, innovation and global competitiveness for students.
The event was attended by the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Second Lady Hajiya Nana Shettima, Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, top government officials, education stakeholders and members of the university community.
Olowolafe, a renowned construction magnate, philanthropist and Chancellor of EKSU, said the new ICT Centre symbolized the Federal Government’s commitment to equipping young Nigerians with the skills required to thrive in a technology-driven world.
“We are here to open a door to digital literacy, digital fluency and the kind of practical, future-ready education that our students need to compete and lead, not just in Nigeria but all over the world,” he said.
According to him, the centre was made possible through the intervention of TETFund and the support of President Tinubu and the First Lady under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The EKSU Chancellor commended Governor Oyebanji for his administration’s investments in education, particularly the recent distribution of 1,000 laptops to youths across the state, describing the initiative as evidence of the governor’s conviction that education and digital access are necessities rather than luxuries.
Olowolafe also praised the Executive Secretary of TETFund for what he described as the faithful implementation of government policies aimed at strengthening tertiary education infrastructure nationwide.
Highlighting achievements of the Federal Government in the education sector, he pointed to the record N3.52 trillion allocation to education in the 2025 federal budget and the establishment of the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which he described as a revolutionary intervention designed to remove financial barriers to higher education.
He disclosed that NELFUND had processed more than 1.7 million applications and disbursed about N282 billion to 1.5 million students across over 348 tertiary institutions and partner organisations nationwide.
The Chancellor further noted that eight new specialised federal universities had been established within the last three years to drive growth in critical sectors such as medicine, agriculture, technology and engineering.
He commended Senator Oluremi Tinubu for her role in advancing educational development through the Renewed Hope Initiative, citing scholarships, digital skills programmes for women and support for vulnerable students across the country.
Olowolafe also applauded the First Lady’s efforts in mobilising more than N25 billion for the National Library project, describing it as a major contribution to knowledge preservation and national development.
Addressing students, he urged them to take full advantage of the ICT Experience Centre.
“The ICT Centre we are opening today was built for you. It is your gateway to the digital skills that the modern global economy demands. Use it with discipline, curiosity and determination,” he said.
He described technology as the foundation of the future, stressing that facilities such as the ICT Experience Centre were no longer luxuries but necessities in an era defined by artificial intelligence, data and global connectivity.
Olowolafe expressed appreciation to the university management led by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Joseph Ayodele, the Ekiti State Government, TETFund and the First Lady for their contributions to the project.
He concluded by reaffirming confidence in President Tinubu’s vision for tertiary education and national development, saying the results of the administration’s interventions were already visible across Nigerian universities.
