Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has approved the allocation of land in the state capital for the establishment of a Digital Fabrication Centre by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).

‎Mbah disclosed this on Sunday while receiving a delegation from the ITF, led by its Director-General, Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, on a courtesy visit to the Government House in Enugu.

The governor said the project aligned with his administration’s vision of positioning Enugu as a leading destination for investment, innovation and technology-driven industrial development. He added that the centre would strengthen efforts to build a knowledge-based economy, promote local manufacturing and create employment opportunities for young people.

Mbah said his administration had made technical education compulsory within the state’s basic education system, with emphasis on digital literacy, robotics and mechatronics. He added that the state had established smart schools equipped with robotics centres, mechatronics laboratories and other modern facilities to prepare young people for the future of work.

The governor stressed the need to deliberately invest in human capital and emerging technologies, noting that artificial intelligence and other digital technologies were rapidly transforming the global economy. He said equipping young people with relevant technical skills would enable them to compete globally and contribute to economic development.

Earlier, Ogun said the ITF had repositioned its technical and vocational skills development programmes to upskill Nigerian artisans to international standards. He cited the Skill-Up Artisans Programme, designed to train, certify and licence artisans, as one of the Fund’s key initiatives, adding that the ITF had already established a Digital Fabrication Centre in Ikeja, Lagos, with the capacity to produce more than 400 different products.

‎Ogun said the proposed Enugu centre would promote industrialisation, reduce dependence on imports and prepare Nigerians for opportunities in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He expressed the ITF’s readiness to partner with the state and private sector through public-private partnerships, while the delegation later toured facilities at one of Enugu State’s smart schools.