By Peter Okoye
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in collaboration with the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprise (I-DICE) initiative, is set to establish a Technology Centre of Excellence at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka to strengthen digital innovation and technology skills development.
The proposed Centre, which is one of six Technology Centres of Excellence to be established in selected universities across Nigeria, will position the University as a hub for additive manufacturing, with emphasis on 3D printing, rapid prototyping, local production of components, industrial tooling and other advanced manufacturing solutions.
A delegation of NITDA and the I-DICE project team visited the University on Monday, September 14, 2026, for discussions with key University stakeholders and an assessment of the infrastructure and institutional requirements for the project.
Speaking during a meeting at the Vice-Chancellor’s Conference Room, the NITDA Team Leader, Engineer Aminayansam Okuma, said the establishment of the Centre of Excellence is in furtherance of the agency’s mandate to promote information technology development and build Nigeria’s capacity in emerging technologies.
He said the Centre at UNN would focus specifically on “additive manufacturing and related technologies, with potential applications in 3D printing, rapid prototyping, component production, industrial tooling and advanced manufacturing.”
Representing I-DICE, the project team leader, Mr Anthony Oniwon, said the visit was aimed at assessing the University’s preparedness for the implementation of the Centre and gathering critical information required for its successful establishment.
He explained that the assessment covered the suitability of the physical space proposed for the Centre, including its readiness for remodelling, as well as the availability of technical personnel who would be responsible for implementing and sustaining the programme.
The team, he added, would also complete the required equipment inventory, conflict-of-interest and institutional profile forms, alongside stakeholder engagements with relevant members of the University community.
“Basically, the essence of our visit is to ascertain the readiness of the University and gather the necessary information required for the successful implementation of the Technology Centre of Excellence,” Oniwon said.
Responding, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Professor Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, assured the delegation of the University’s readiness to support the establishment and successful implementation of the Centre.
The Vice-Chancellor, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Professor Kamoru Usman, said that the UNN had, over past six decades, developed substantial human and material capacity that would provide a strong foundation for the Centre.
The Vice-Chancellor said that the University was committed to providing the necessary institutional support and facilities to ensure that the Centre achieved its objectives and contributed meaningfully to technology development and innovation.
As part of efforts to ensure the seamless implementation of the project, the University Management has constituted an implementation team headed by the Director of the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Power and Energy Development (ACE-SPED), Professor Emenike Ejiogu, to interface with the NITDA and I-DICE teams.
The team will facilitate the University’s engagement with the project partners and coordinate institutional support towards the realization of the Technology Centre of Excellence.
