The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has granted the Enugu State Government a 15-year operational lease on its Digital Industrial Park and Learning Centre (also known as the Digital Bridge Institute) in the state capital. The agreement was formalised at a signing ceremony at Government House, Enugu, in early August 2026.
Under the arrangement, the state government will take responsibility for activating and optimising the facilities. Governor Peter Mbah’s administration plans to rebrand the Digital Industrial Park as the Enugu Talent City, a knowledge-driven outsourcing hub focused on business process outsourcing (BPO) and knowledge process outsourcing (KPO). The Learning Centre is to be transformed into a world-class Artificial Intelligence Institute and potential continental AI certification centre.
Dr Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, said the 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,” he stated at the handover.
Maida emphasised that the true value of the assets would be measured by tangible outcomes skills acquired, businesses created and jobs generated rather than by buildings or equipment alone. He cited Enugu’s investments in education, infrastructure, innovation and digital capacity as key factors in the Commission’s decision, and linked the partnership to the federal government’s digital economy agenda and President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope drive toward a $1 trillion economy.
Governor Mbah described the handover as a historic milestone that would help position Enugu as a leading digital economy hub. The state intends to leverage the facilities for AI development, startup incubation, research and technology-enabled enterprise, enabling young people to provide services to global clients without leaving Enugu. Partnerships, including discussions with teams from Qatar for AI certification, have been referenced as part of the transformation plans.
The Digital Industrial Park and Learning Centre form part of a broader network of six such facilities established by the NCC across Nigeria to promote digital innovation and skills development.
The lease reflects a growing trend of federal-state collaboration to activate underutilised digital infrastructure and align it with local economic priorities. For Enugu, it supports efforts to build a talent pipeline and attract technology investment. For the NCC, it shifts operational responsibility to a state government assessed as capable of driving productive use while advancing national digital economy goals.
Success will depend on effective activation, private-sector partnerships and sustained investment in skills and enterprise support. If realised, the Enugu Talent City and AI Institute could strengthen Nigeria’s position in outsourcing and artificial intelligence while creating opportunities for the state’s youth and entrepreneurs.
