The founder of the Tunji Olowolafe Foundation, Dr Tunji Olowolafe, has announced plans to establish and upgrade information and communication technology centres across the six government technical colleges in Ekiti State.
Olowolafe said the centres would be powered by solar energy and connected to high-speed Starlink internet to strengthen vocational training and prepare students for employment and entrepreneurship.
He disclosed this while delivering the lead paper, titled, “The Path to Ekiti’s Greatness: Opportunities, Choices, and Imperatives for the Next 30 Years,” at the Ekiti at 30 Future Summit held at the Obafemi Awolowo Civic and Convention Centre, Ado-Ekiti.
The Chancellor of Ekiti State University said the foundation would also recruit international vocational experts to train teachers and students and support the reform of the technical colleges’ curricula.
He said, “Working with the state government, and on a case-by-case basis, we will install and upgrade modern ICT centres in the six government technical colleges in Ekiti, modelled on GOMTECH, each powered by solar energy and connected to high-speed Starlink internet.
“We will recruit international experts in vocational training, on our own payroll, to support our teachers, train our students and guide the reform of the curriculum, with the workshop at the centre of learning.”
According to him, the success of the initiative will be measured by the number of graduates who obtain professional certifications, secure employment or establish businesses.
Olowolafe also announced that the foundation would partner with mining institutions in Canada and South Africa to strengthen EKSU’s Department of Geology and develop a vocational certification programme for geological technicians and mine safety officers.
He said the foundation aimed to make the department one of Africa’s leading geology faculties within five years.
Presenting a development plan for the state, Olowolafe proposed a technical audit of Ekiti’s 177 political wards to determine the viability of renewable-energy microgrids.
He explained that solar microgrids with capacities of between 300 and 500 kilowatts could supply electricity to schools, health centres, workshops and small businesses in many communities.
The businessman identified reliable electricity, practical vocational education and access to industrial supply chains and global markets as three requirements for transforming Ekiti’s educational strength into economic prosperity.
He called for the expansion of technical education beyond the six government colleges currently operating in the state, arguing that the existing institutions were inadequate for the training needs of young people across the 16 local government areas.
“The future economy will reward practical competence. Our primary investment as a state must be vocational education: solar installation, welding, fabrication, machinery repair, food processing and high-value technical trades,” he said.
Olowolafe urged the government to modernise the technical education curriculum and engage experienced instructors from countries with established vocational training systems, including Germany, Switzerland, Canada and South Africa.
He added that industries should participate in curriculum development, deploy engineers to teach students and recruit graduates directly from technical workshops.
Speaking on agriculture, the EKSU chancellor called for the development of affordable solar-powered cocoa dryers for farming communities to reduce post-harvest losses and improve the quality of produce.
He said Ekiti produced about 4,500 tonnes of cocoa in 2025 and should move beyond exporting raw produce to processing cocoa into chocolate and other finished products within the state.
Olowolafe also advocated local processing of solid minerals, saying Ekiti must first develop the expertise and equipment required to understand and sustainably exploit its mineral resources.
He noted that the foundation had already provided Starlink internet at 12 locations across EKSU and was supporting the digital training of the institution’s 650 lecturers under Project Digi-Teach EKSU.
He added that the Gbemisola Olowolafe Memorial Community Secondary School in Are-Ekiti, which opened with 100 pupils in September 2025, had increased its enrolment to more than 170.
Olowolafe called for a biennial review of the state’s development targets to measure progress and hold leaders and institutions accountable.
He expressed confidence that Ekiti could achieve much of its 30-year development ambition within a decade if the state consistently invested in power, technical skills, agriculture, technology and industrial partnerships.
“Our first 30 years proved that Ekiti could exist. The next 10 must prove that Ekiti will lead,” he said.
