ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Governor Peter Mbah has inaugurated a $20 million technology factory in Enugu, describing it as a bold step toward transforming the state into a leading hub for industrialisation and knowledge-driven growth.
The Enugu Haier Factory, a Foreign Direct Investment by Haier Group in partnership with the Enugu State Government, is projected to produce 200,000 ICT and technology devices annually, while creating at least 100 direct jobs in its first phase.
Speaking at the inauguration in Enugu metropolis, Mbah said the facility aligns with his administration’s push to grow the state’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion.
“This partnership represents the convergence of vision, innovation and opportunity to generate Made in Enugu technologies that compete globally,” he said.
“It reduces costs, ensures sustainability and most importantly builds local capacity.”
Vice President of Haier Group, Sun Yongle, disclosed that the factory would manufacture smartphones, tablets, computers, smart boards, Android televisions, medical equipment and renewable energy solutions for electricity, agriculture and transportation.
“The Enugu Haier Factory has a designed production capacity of 200,000 units per year,” Yongle said, adding that more than 100 local workers would be engaged at the initial stage, with total staff strength expected to exceed 200.
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He revealed that discussions were already underway for an additional $30 million investment covering agriculture, mining and transportation, including sesame, coal and tricycles.
“Our goal is for our products to be not only Made in Enugu, but also Designed in Enugu,” he stated, announcing plans to establish a Research and Development Centre and a training hub in the state.
The Mbah administration provided land and infrastructure for the factory and further strengthened the investment with offtake orders exceeding 25,000 all-in-one desktops and 300,000 tablets to power its 260 Smart Green Schools initiative.
The governor also linked the steady inflow of investments to the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu.
“This steady inflow of FDIs shows that macroeconomic pressures have eased. We have seen the naira strengthen, foreign reserves grow and inflation trend downward,” Mbah said.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, described the project as a strong endorsement of the Federal Government’s industrialisation drive.
“The President fully supports this initiative because it aligns with our Renewed Hope Agenda. This is adding to the vision of building a $1 trillion economy,” he said.
Education Commissioner Prof. Ndubueze Mbah commended the speedy completion of the factory within 18 months, noting that it reinforces the state’s skills-based education model.
For students like Precious Anih of GTC Enugu, the project represents more than infrastructure. “You have made us look into the future and have hope,” she said.
With expansion talks already in motion, Enugu’s latest FDI signals a deeper ambition not just to assemble technology, but to design and own it.