Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has approved the allocation of land in Enugu for the establishment of a Digital Fabrication Centre by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).
Mbah announced the approval while receiving a delegation from the ITF, led by its Director-General, Afiz Ogun, during a courtesy visit to the Government House in Enugu.
The development was disclosed by the ITF in a statement issued on Friday by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Thomas Ngor.
Mbah described the proposed centre as timely and consistent with his administration’s efforts to position Enugu as a hub for investment, innovation and technology-driven industrial development.
The governor said sustainable economic growth would depend increasingly on investments in human capital and emerging technologies. He noted that his administration had made technical education compulsory in the state’s basic education system, with emphasis on digital literacy, robotics and mechatronics.
Mbah also highlighted the smart schools established across the state, which are equipped with robotics centres, mechatronics laboratories and other modern facilities designed to prepare young people for the future of work.
He said the ITF centre would strengthen Enugu’s efforts to build a knowledge-based economy, promote innovation and local manufacturing, and create employment opportunities for the state’s growing youth population.
Ogun said the ITF was mandated to upgrade the skills of Nigerian artisans to international standards and had introduced initiatives such as the Skill-Up Artisans Programme to train, certify and license artisans.
He disclosed that the Fund had established a Digital Fabrication Centre in Ikeja, Lagos, capable of producing more than 400 different products, and sought a similar facility in Enugu to support industrialisation, reduce import dependence and prepare Nigerians for opportunities in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Ogun said the ITF was also open to public-private partnerships aimed at transforming Nigeria’s artisanal sector. The delegation later toured one of Enugu State’s smart schools to inspect its facilities.
