The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has signed a 15-year lease agreement with the Enugu State Government, paving the way for the transformation of its Digital Industrial Park and Learning Centre into a world-class innovation hub aimed at accelerating artificial intelligence (AI), digital skills development and technology-driven economic growth.
The agreement, signed on Tuesday at the Government House in Enugu, will see the state government take over and optimise the facilities as the Enugu Talent City and Artificial Intelligence Institute, a flagship initiative aligned with Governor Peter Mbah’s digital economy agenda.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Aminu Maida, described the partnership as a strategic step towards supporting the Federal Government’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy anchored on productivity, innovation and private sector-led growth.
Maida said Governor Mbah had demonstrated a strong commitment to transforming Enugu into a digital economy hub through sustained investments in education, infrastructure, innovation and digital capacity development.
He expressed confidence that the state was well positioned to maximise the facilities for the benefit of young Nigerians and the broader technology ecosystem.
“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,” Maida said.
According to him, the facilities were originally conceived as platforms to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and human capital development by expanding digital skills, supporting startups, attracting investment, creating jobs and positioning Nigeria as a competitive destination for business process outsourcing and other technology-enabled services.
He stressed that the value of the project lay not merely in the physical infrastructure but in the opportunities it would create for innovators, entrepreneurs and technology-driven enterprises.
“Buildings alone do not create innovation. People do. Ideas do. Entrepreneurs do. And partnerships bring all these elements together,” he stated.
The NCC boss also praised the Enugu State Government’s Smart Green Schools initiative, describing it as a forward-looking investment that prepares young people for an economy increasingly shaped by digital technologies, robotics and artificial intelligence.
He noted that investment in education and digital skills would improve productivity, expand economic opportunities and equip businesses and individuals to thrive as AI and automation continue to reshape industries globally.
Governor Peter Mbah, in his remarks, commended President Bola Tinubu for placing the digital economy at the centre of his administration’s economic transformation agenda and recognising the role of state governments in achieving that vision.
He noted that artificial intelligence is projected to contribute about $20 trillion to the global economy by 2030, stressing that Enugu was determined not to allow its young people miss the opportunities presented by the rapidly evolving technology landscape.
“We believe our brightest talents should not be exported in person. They should export their talents to the global economy while remaining here in Enugu,” the governor said, adding that the initiative would create jobs and unlock new opportunities for the state’s youth.
Mbah disclosed that the state government would transform the Digital Bridge Institute into a world-class AI institute while repositioning the Digital Industrial Park as a continental centre for innovation and digital excellence.
He revealed that Enugu was already collaborating with partners from Qatar to establish the institute as an AI certification centre for Africa.
Expressing confidence in the partnership, the governor assured the NCC that the state would maximise the facilities and demonstrate the value of the agreement in the coming years.
“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 ensure they become productive,” he said.
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 Enugu State with the strategic facilities.
He pledged that the state government would fully activate and optimise the assets to deliver on their original mandate of promoting innovation, digital skills development and economic transformation.