NCC Leases Digital Industrial Park to Enugu Government for 15 Years

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)  and the Enugu State Government have signed a 15-year lease agreement covering the commission’s Digital Industrial Park and Learning Centre in Enugu.

Under the agreement, the Enugu State Government will take over and optimise the facilities as the Enugu Talent City and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute, supporting the state’s efforts to expand its digital economy and develop technology-driven skills and businesses.

The agreement was signed at the Enugu State Government House and aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s digital economy agenda and his administration’s ambition to grow Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy through productivity, innovation and private-sector development.

NCC Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Dr Aminu Maida, said the partnership reflects Enugu State’s focus on education, infrastructure, innovation and digital capacity. He noted that the state was well positioned to advance the objectives for which the facilities were established.

The facilities are expected to support digital services, artificial intelligence, startup incubation, outsourcing, research and technology-enabled businesses. They will also provide spaces for young people to acquire digital skills, entrepreneurs to develop ideas into viable businesses and local enterprises to access opportunities beyond Enugu and Nigeria.

Maida said the facilities were designed to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and human capital development, while supporting startups, attracting investment and creating jobs.

He also commended Governor Peter Mbah’s investment in Smart Green Schools, noting that technology-enabled schools, digital learning facilities, robotics and AI laboratories could help prepare young people for a technology-driven economy.

According to Maida, investment in education and skills will be increasingly important as AI, automation and other digital technologies reshape industries, government services and business operations.

Governor Peter Mbah also commended President Tinubu for recognising the importance of the digital economy to his $1 trillion economic ambition and the role states will play in achieving the target.

Mbah highlighted the growing economic significance of artificial intelligence, noting that AI is expected to make a major contribution to the global economy by 2030.

The lease is expected to strengthen Enugu’s position as a hub for digital skills, AI development, startup incubation, research and technology-enabled businesses, while advancing the state’s broader digital transformation agenda.