By ALEX ENEBELI

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has handed over the Digital Industrial Park and the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), to the Enugu State Government on a 15-year operational lease agreement.

The two digital assets were officially transferred to the state government during a ceremony at the Government House, Enugu, on Tuesday.

Speaking during the signing of the agreement, Dr Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, said the facilities were among six digital industrial parks established across the country to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and human capital development.

He explained that the facilities were designed to deepen digital skills, support startups, attract investments and create jobs.

Maida said it would also position Nigeria as a competitive destination for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) and other technology-enabled services.

According to him, the infrastructure was built not merely as physical assets but as platforms for developing the people and enterprises that would drive Nigeria’s digital economy.

Maida stressed that infrastructure only delivered value when effectively utilised, noting that innovation was driven by people, ideas and entrepreneurs working in partnership.

“The success of these facilities will not be measured by the quality of the buildings or equipment, but by the skills acquired, ideas developed, businesses created and jobs generated,” he said.

He expressed confidence that the Enugu State Government had demonstrated the vision and commitment needed to maximise the facilities through investments in education, innovation, infrastructure and digital capacity.

The executive vice chairman said the partnership would support Enugu’s ambition to become a leading destination for digital services, Artificial Intelligence (AI), startup incubation, outsourcing, research and technology-enabled enterprises.

He added that the collaboration aligned with the Federal Government’s digital economy agenda and President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which sought to build a $1 trillion economy driven by productivity, innovation and private sector growth.

He emphasised that Nigeria’s digital future would require collaboration among the Federal and state governments, the private sector, academia and development partners.

Responding, Gov. Peter Mbah described the handover as a historic milestone that would position Enugu as Nigeria’s leading digital economy hub through strategic investments in artificial intelligence, digital innovation and talent development.

He announced that the Digital Industrial Park would be transformed into the Enugu Talent City, a knowledge-driven outsourcing hub providing Business Process Outsourcing and Knowledge Process Outsourcing services.

According to the governor, the initiative would enable talented young people in the state to provide services to global companies without leaving Enugu.

Mbah also disclosed that the Digital Bridge Institute would be upgraded into a world-class AI Institute and an AI certification centre serving the African continent.

“We see these assets as facilities that will deepen innovation in our state, unlock opportunities, create employment and position Enugu as a leading digital economy in this country,” he said.

The governor noted that artificial intelligence was projected to contribute about $20 trillion to the global economy by 2030, stressing the need to equip Nigerian youths with relevant digital skills to compete globally.

Earlier, the Special Adviser to Mbah on SMEs and Digital Economy, Mr Arinze Chilo-Offia, said the handover would enhance growing partnership between the Enugu State Government and the NCC.

Chilo-Offia thanked the NCC leadership for entrusting the facilities to the state, describing the collaboration as a major boost to Enugu’s ambition of becoming Nigeria’s premier destination for digital innovation, technology-driven investment and high-value employment.

Also speaking, a Non-Executive Commissioner of the NCC, Mr Ikechukwu Ugwuegede, expressed confidence in the Enugu State Government’s capacity to maximise the facilities to advance Nigeria’s digital economy.

He said that both facilities were university-sized and strategically located along the Enugu-Ugwogo Expressway and the GRA Expressway.

Offiah said that they would serve as major centres for innovation, digital skills development and economic growth in the state. (NAN)

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