The Enugu State Government has signed a 15-year lease agreement with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to take over the Commission’s Digital Industrial Park and Learning Centre, setting the stage for the transformation of the facilities into an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute and Enugu Talent City.
The landmark agreement, signed on Tuesday at the Government House, Enugu, is expected to accelerate the state’s digital economy agenda and strengthen its ambition to become Nigeria’s leading technology and innovation hub.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, described the partnership as a major step towards advancing President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the vision of building a $1 trillion economy powered by innovation, technology and private sector growth.
Maida said Governor Peter Mbah’s deliberate investments in education, infrastructure and digital capacity convinced the Commission that Enugu was best positioned to maximise the facilities.
“Our expectation is that this partnership will support Enugu’s ambition to become a leading destination for digital services, artificial intelligence, startup incubation, outsourcing, research and technology-enabled enterprise.
“We also expect these facilities to become spaces where young people acquire relevant skills, entrepreneurs transform ideas into viable businesses and local enterprises connect to opportunities beyond Enugu and Nigeria,” he said.
According to him, the Digital Industrial Park and Learning Centre were conceived as more than physical infrastructure, but as platforms to nurture innovation, entrepreneurship and human capital capable of driving Nigeria’s digital transformation.
“These facilities were conceived as platforms for innovation, entrepreneurship and human capital development. They were designed to deepen digital skills, support startups, attract investment, create jobs and position Nigeria as a competitive destination for business process outsourcing, knowledge process outsourcing and other technology-enabled services.
“In essence, they were built not merely as physical assets, but as platforms for developing the people and enterprises that will power Nigeria’s digital economy.
“So, for us at the NCC, completing physical infrastructure is only the beginning. Buildings alone do not create innovation. People do. Ideas do. Entrepreneurs do. And partnerships bring all these elements together,” Maida stated.
The NCC chief also praised Governor Mbah’s Smart Green Schools initiative, describing it as a visionary investment that prepares young people for the digital future.
“Physical infrastructure is essential to development, but infrastructure alone cannot deliver lasting prosperity. This is what makes the Smart Green Schools initiative significant. It recognises that preparing our children for tomorrow must begin today. Technology-enabled schools, digital learning facilities, robotics and artificial intelligence laboratories demonstrate an understanding that education must evolve alongside technology. That is leadership with the future in mind.
“Investment in education and skills raises productivity, expands economic opportunity and strengthens the ability of individuals and businesses to create value.
“This is even more important today. Artificial Intelligence is reshaping industries. Automation is changing the nature of work. Digital technologies are transforming how governments serve citizens and how businesses operate,” he added.
Responding, Governor Peter Mbah commended President Tinubu for prioritising the digital economy as a key driver of Nigeria’s planned $1 trillion economy, noting that states would play a central role in achieving that target.
The governor said Enugu was positioning itself to become Africa’s foremost destination for artificial intelligence, digital innovation and technology-driven services.
According to him, the state plans to convert the Digital Bridge Institute into a world-class AI institute while transforming the Digital Industrial Park into a continental certification centre for artificial intelligence.
“We also believe that our talents, our brightest talents, should not be exported in person. We believe that they should export their talents outside the country from here, and that is why we see huge benefits in these assets in terms of job creation and opportunities for our young people.
“We are also looking at transforming the Digital Bridge Institute into a world-class AI institute. We will also transform the Digital Industrial Park. If you have followed the news, we have already taken steps, working with some teams from Qatar, to make sure that it becomes a certification centre for AI on the continent,” Mbah said.
He expressed confidence that the partnership would justify the NCC’s confidence in the state.
“I am sure that a few years down the line, we can come back here and be very proud of the decision we made today to activate these assets and to make sure that they are productive,” the governor added.
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Digital Economy and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Arinze Chilo-Ofia, thanked the Federal Government and the NCC for entrusting the facilities to the state, assuring that the administration would optimise the assets to achieve the objectives for which they were established.
