• As Atoyebi charges govs, LG chairmen to build on First Lady’s grassroots interventions
Deji Elumoye in Abuja and Bennett Oghifo in Lagos
Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Tuesday inaugurated the TETFund/Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) ICT Experience Centre at Kwara State University, Malete, as part of continued efforts to equip Nigerian youths with digital skills and expand access to technology-driven learning across tertiary institutions.
Kwara State University is one of six tertiary institutions selected for the pilot phase of the ICT Experience Centre intervention, with one institution representing each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
In a related development, Convener of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Ideological Group, Comrade Bamidele Atoyebi, has urged state governors and local government chairmen to embrace complementary programmes that would extend the impact of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) to more communities.
Atoyebi made the call in a statement titled “Progressive Governors, LG Chairmen Should Complement First Lady’s Drive,” where he argued that state and local governments must take greater responsibility for translating federal interventions into tangible benefits for residents in wards and communities.
He said the RHI, launched in 2023 by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, had implemented programmes in agriculture, economic empowerment, social investment, health and education, including grants, agricultural inputs, healthcare interventions and support for women, persons with disabilities and elderly Nigerians.
Meanwhile, of six tertiary institutions selected for the pilot phase of the ICT Experience Centre intervention, similar centres have been commissioned at Ekiti State University on May 30, the University of Cross River State on September 4, and Anambra State Polytechnic on September 10, 2026, while the centres at Kaduna State and Taraba State Universities are also ready and scheduled for inauguration soon.
The inauguration, held on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, revealed the planned expansion of the intervention to 15 additional tertiary institutions across the country, with construction currently ongoing in the benefiting institutions.
Represented by the wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, Mrs Tinubu said the ICT Experience Centre represents “opportunity, innovation, knowledge, and hope” for young people in Kwara State and beyond.
She said the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, particularly its focus on youth empowerment, education, innovation, and economic transformation.
According to her, the centre provides a modern environment equipped with ICT laboratories, interactive digital displays, conference facilities, and exhibition spaces to support learning, creativity, research, and technological advancement.
The First Lady further disclosed that the next phase of the intervention would cover 15 institutions in Adamawa, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Katsina, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Rivers, Yobe and Zamfara States.
She said the expansion demonstrates the administration’s commitment to ensuring that more Nigerian youths, irrespective of their location, have access to digital learning and innovation opportunities.
While addressing the students, Mrs. Tinubu encouraged them to take ownership of the facility and maximize the opportunities it provides.
She urged the students to use technology positively to transform their lives, communities, and the nation.
While commending the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of TETFund, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, and management of TETFund for their collaboration with the Renewed Hope Initiative and continued investment in infrastructure and human capital development across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, Mrs. Tinubu also commended the Vice-Chancellor and management of Kwara State University for their support toward the successful completion of the centre.
She expressed confidence that the facility would be properly managed, maintained, and effectively utilized for the benefit of present and future generations of students.
Also speaking, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, urged the management of the State University to leverage the newly inaugurated ICT Centre to drive innovation, create jobs, and develop practical solutions to societal challenges, stressing that universities must go beyond producing graduates to generating ideas that improve lives.
He also thanked the First Lady for facilitating the intervention through the Renewed Hope Initiative and commended TETFund for its investment in the institution.
On her part, wife of the Kwara State Governor and State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Professor Olufolake Abdulrazaq, described the ICT Centre as a significant opportunity for young people, appreciating the Renewed Hope Initiative’s commitment to youth empowerment.
She said the project would equip young men and women with digital skills, ensure they are not left behind in the digital revolution, and break barriers to acquiring functional skills, while commending TETFund for making the initiative possible.
Mrs. AbdulRazaq urged beneficiaries to utilize the centre effectively, learn, thrive, and sow the seeds for future success.
Also, Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, described the newly inaugurated ICT Centre at Kwara State University as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s digital future, saying it will equip young Nigerians with critical skills in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics, and other emerging technologies.
Represented by the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Olajide Babatunde, Echono said the intervention delivered in support of the Renewed Hope Initiative would help bridge the digital skills gap, improve graduate employability, and align Nigeria’s education system with global technological demands.
Also speaking, Vice-Chancellor of the Kwara State University, Malete, Professor Jimoh, expressed appreciation to the First Lady for selecting the institution for the intervention, describing the ICT Centre as a significant investment in the future of Nigeria.
He said the project has brought renewed hope to Malete while strengthening engagement between the university and its host Community adding that the centre would enhance research, promote entrepreneurship, and encourage greater community participation.
Meanwhile, Convener of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Ideological Group, Comrade Bamidele Atoyebi cited the RHI-Tony Elumelu Foundation women empowerment programme, which targeted 18,500 women across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with each beneficiary receiving N50,000 to recapitalise an existing business.
He said the scale of the programme showed both the value of federal intervention and the need for state and local governments to expand similar support within their jurisdictions.
“If women receive N50,000 to restart a business, what stops a state or local government from creating an additional business-support scheme?” Atoyebi asked.
He added that governments could also support farmers with equipment, access roads, storage facilities and additional grants when federal programmes provide agricultural inputs.
He cited Imo State as an example of how state governments could expand federal interventions, noting that the state increased the number of women benefiting from the empowerment programme from the original 500 allocated to each state to 2,500 women, alongside additional assistance.
Atoyebi also cited the renovated Alternative High School for Girls in Agboju, Lagos, commissioned in August 2026, as an example of state-level intervention that can complement broader government programmes.
He submitted that governors and local government chairmen should develop interventions based on the peculiar needs of their communities rather than wait for federal programmes.
“A governor does not need to wait for Abuja before renovating a primary healthcare centre, equipping a rural school, providing learning materials or supporting children from poor households,” he stated.
Atoyebi further called for stronger local interventions in areas such as healthcare, education, roads, water, electricity and economic empowerment, particularly for women traders, farmers, artisans and young entrepreneurs.
He said the impact of governance should be assessed beyond projects commissioned in state capitals, arguing that residents in rural communities should also experience improvements in access to healthcare, education, roads, business capital and other basic services.
Atoyebi identified the National Community Food Bank as an example of multi-level collaboration, noting that the programme brought together federal institutions, private foundations and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, with the First Lady contributing N500 million and the NGF pledging N17 billion as part of its announced funding structure.
He urged governors to build on federal interventions and called on local government chairmen to identify community needs and develop measurable programmes around them.
“The federal government cannot do everything alone,” Atoyebi said, stressing that the impact of economic reforms and government interventions would be greater when programmes move from the federal level to states, local governments, wards and communities.
He said stronger coordination among the three tiers of government would help ensure that Nigerians experience government programmes directly rather than only hear about them through official announcements.
Atoyebi is also the National Coordinator of Accountability and Policy Monitoring PR and a publisher of Unfiltered and Mining Reports.