By Golok Nanmwa, Jos
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has approved the allocation of land in the state capital for the establishment of a Digital Fabrication Centre by the Industrial Training Fund, ITF.
This was contained in a statement signed by Thomas Ngor, Director, Press and Public Relations, and made available to journalists in Jos at the weekend.
According to the statement, Mbah disclosed the approval when he received a delegation from the ITF, led by its Director-General, Dr Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, on a courtesy visit to the Government House, Enugu.
The governor described the proposed centre as timely and in line with his administration’s vision of transforming Enugu into a leading destination for investment, innovation and technology-driven industrial development.
Mbah said the future of economic prosperity depended on deliberate investments in human capital and emerging technologies, noting that his administration had continued to create an enabling environment for innovation, enterprise and sustainable growth.
He explained that the state government had made technical education compulsory in its basic education system, with emphasis on digital literacy, robotics and mechatronics to prepare young people for the future of work.
According to him, many traditional trades are now increasingly driven by digital technologies, making it imperative to equip young people with relevant technical competencies that would enable them to compete globally.
The governor also disclosed that his administration had built smart schools across the state, equipped with robotics centres, mechatronics laboratories and other modern learning facilities.
He said the establishment of the ITF Digital Fabrication Centre would strengthen the state’s efforts to build a knowledge-based economy, promote innovation and local manufacturing, as well as create employment opportunities for the growing youth population.
Earlier, the ITF Director-General, Ogun, said he was mandated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to upskill Nigerian artisans to international standards following his appointment as head of the Fund.
He said the ITF had repositioned its technical and vocational skills development programmes through initiatives such as the Skill-Up Artisans, SUPA, programme, which is designed to train, certify and license Nigerian artisans to international standards.
Ogun disclosed that the Fund had already established a Digital Fabrication Centre in Ikeja, Lagos, with the capacity to produce more than 400 different products.
He therefore requested the allocation of land in Enugu State for the establishment of a similar centre, saying the initiative would promote industrialisation, reduce dependence on imports and prepare Nigerians for opportunities in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The ITF boss also reaffirmed the Fund’s readiness to enter into Public-Private Partnerships, PPPs, to transform Nigeria’s artisanal ecosystem.
He noted that digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics and computer-aided manufacturing, were rapidly transforming the global economy, stressing the need for Nigeria to deliberately invest in upskilling its workforce to remain globally competitive.
The statement added that the ITF delegation later embarked on a guided tour of facilities at one of the smart schools established by the Enugu State Government.
