By Ezeh Anya Ezeh, Bureau Chief, South East, Nigeria and Angeline Mgbele, Bureau Chief, Northern Nigeria
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reaffirmed its support for Nigeria’s digital economy agenda through initiatives that expand digital opportunities, strengthen human capital and ensure that no community is left behind in Nigeria’s digital economy as it formalized a 15-year operational lease of the NCC Digital Industrial Park and NCC Learning Centre in Enugu to the Enugu State Government.
A statement e-signed by the Director of Public Affairs(DPA) at NCC, Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha says, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer(EVC/CEO) of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, announced the partnership at the handover ceremony in Enugu, recently describing the facilities as platforms designed to develop the people, ideas and enterprises that would power Nigeria’s digital future.
Dr. Maida said the Commission was pleased to hand over the facilities to a state government that had demonstrated the vision and commitment required to activate them for productive use.
“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,” Maida said.
He said the intervention was not merely about physical infrastructure, but about building capacity, expanding opportunity and supporting enterprise in the digital economy. “Buildings alone do not create innovation. People do. Ideas do. Entrepreneurs do. And partnerships bring all these elements together,” Maida said. According to him, the success of the facilities would be judged by their practical impact on skills development, idea generation, business creation and job opportunities, rather than by the quality of the buildings or equipment alone.
He said the NCC’s decision to transfer the facilities for activation by the Enugu State Government was informed by the state administration’s deliberate investments in education, infrastructure, innovation and digital capacity, stressing that the Commission expected the partnership to support Enugu’s ambition to become a leading destination for digital services, artificial intelligence, startup incubation, outsourcing, research and technology-enabled enterprise.
“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,” he said.
Maida also linked the handover to broader national policy priorities, saying the partnership supported Nigeria’s digital economy agenda, particularly in digital infrastructure, digital literacy, innovation and indigenous content development. He said it also aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the national ambition to build a US$1 trillion economy driven by productivity, innovation and private sector growth.
He commended the Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, for what he described as purposeful leadership and a deliberate development agenda, noting visible improvements in infrastructure and renewed investments in education and skills.
Maida specifically cited the administration’s renewed drive to recruit about 6,500 teachers in support of the Smart Green Schools initiative, saying the focus on human capital was central to sustainable development. “No investment delivers more enduring returns than investment in people,” he said.
He said physical infrastructure, including roads, buildings, broadband networks and technology platforms, became productive only when people had the knowledge and skills to use it effectively. He added that the point had become more urgent as artificial intelligence, automation and digital technologies reshaped industries, work and public service delivery.
The NCC chief executive said access to technology must be matched with the capacity to use it productively, noting that technology-enabled schools, digital learning facilities, robotics and artificial intelligence laboratories reflected an understanding that education must evolve alongside technology.
Maida said the future of Nigeria’s digital economy required strong collaboration among the federal and state governments, the private sector, academia and development partners. “No single institution can build Nigeria’s digital future alone. The Federal Government, state governments, the private sector, academia and development partners all have complementary roles to play,” he said.
He thanked the Enugu State Government for embracing the partnership and reaffirmed NCC’s commitment to initiatives that expanded digital opportunities, strengthened human capital and ensured that no community was left behind.
The NCC Digital Industrial Park and NCC Learning Centre in Enugu are expected to provide spaces where young people can acquire relevant skills, entrepreneurs can turn ideas into viable businesses and local enterprises can connect to opportunities beyond Enugu and Nigeria.
