Digital Boost: Enugu Takes Over NCC Innovation Centres

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has officially handed over the Digital Industrial Park and the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) to the Enugu State Government under a 15-year operational lease agreement.
The two digital facilities were transferred during a signing ceremony held at the Government House in Enugu on Tuesday. Speaking at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said the facilities are among six Digital Industrial Parks established nationwide to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and human capital development.
According to Maida, the centres are designed to deepen digital skills, support startups, attract investments and create employment while positioning Nigeria as a competitive destination for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) and other technology-driven services. He explained that the infrastructure was built not merely as physical assets but as platforms for nurturing people and businesses that will drive Nigeria’s digital economy.
He stressed that infrastructure only delivers value when effectively utilised, noting that innovation thrives through people, ideas and partnerships. “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.
Maida expressed confidence in the Enugu State Government’s commitment to maximising the facilities through investments in education, innovation, infrastructure and digital capacity. He 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 aligns with the Federal Government’s digital economy agenda and President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at building a $1 trillion economy driven by productivity, innovation and private sector growth. He emphasised that Nigeria’s digital future would require sustained collaboration among the Federal and state governments, the private sector, academia and development partners.
Responding, Governor 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.
The governor 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. He said the initiative would enable talented young people in the state to deliver 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 is projected to contribute about $20 trillion to the global economy by 2030, stressing the need to equip Nigerian youths with the digital skills required to compete globally.
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on SMEs and Digital Economy, Mr. Arinze Chilo-Offia, said the handover would strengthen the growing partnership between the Enugu State Government and the NCC. He thanked the Commission 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, NCC Non-Executive Commissioner, Mr. Ikechukwu Ugwuegede, expressed confidence in the Enugu State Government’s ability to maximise the facilities in advancing Nigeria’s digital economy. He noted that both facilities are university-sized and strategically located along the Enugu-Ugwogo Expressway and the GRA Expressway.
Chilo-Offia added that the two facilities would serve as major centres for innovation, digital skills development and economic growth in the state. (NAN)