Driving more capacity to President Bola Tinubu’s digital economy agenda, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Enugu State Government, on Tuesday, sealed a strategic 15-year lease of the agency’s Digital Industrial Park and Learning Centre to the Enugu State Government.
By this arrangement, Enugu State Government will take over the facilities located in the state capital as the Enugu Talent City and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute, in line with the digital economy drive of the Governor Peter Mbah Administration.
Speaking during the agreement signing ceremony at the Government House, Enugu, the Executive Vice-Chairman/CEO of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said the arrangement will form part of the catalyst in crystalising the federal government’s ambition to grow Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy driven by productivity, innovation and private sector growth.
Maida stated that Gov. Mbah had shown a clear agenda to build Enugu State into a digital economic powerhouse through deliberate investment in education, infrastructure, innovation and digital capacity.
“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.
“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 investment in Smart Green Schools, saying he was building an economy prepared for the 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,” he said.
Responding, Gov. Mbah commended President Tinubu for recognising the centrality of the digital economy to the $1 trillion economy.
He noted that AI would contribute about $20 trillion to the global economy by 2030, adding, “it is not a space you want your young ones to be missing.”
He emphasised that the state government was 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 stressed.
