The Enugu State Government has partnered with China’s Haier Group to inaugurate a ₦27.26 billion ($20 million) ICT manufacturing factory in Enugu, a move positioned to deepen local technology production and accelerate skills development in Nigeria’s South-East.
The facility, located in Enugu metropolis, is designed to manufacture smartphones, tablets, computers, smart boards, Android televisions and other technology-driven solutions spanning education, healthcare and renewable energy.
The plant has a projected annual production capacity of 200,000 units, according to Governor Peter Mbah, who inaugurated the factory, describing the collaboration as a strategic intervention aimed at reducing reliance on imported devices while strengthening local capacity.
The plant has a projected annual production capacity of 200,000 units, according to Governor Peter Mbah, who inaugurated the factory, describing the collaboration as a strategic intervention aimed at reducing reliance on imported devices while strengthening local capacity.
Governor: Enugu to drive tech-drive domestic industrialisation
According to the governor, the partnership ensures that devices required to empower students and support critical sectors of the economy will increasingly be produced locally rather than sourced from overseas.
“This is cost-effective, ensures sustainability and, most importantly, builds local capacity,” the governor said, noting that the project aligns with Enugu State’s ambition to build a technology-driven economy anchored on domestic industrialisation.
As part of the arrangement, the state government provided land and supporting infrastructure for the factory and committed significant offtake orders to stimulate production. Governor Mbah disclosed that the state has placed orders for over 25,000 all-in-one desktop computers and 300,000 tablets to support its Smart Green Schools initiative.
He added that beyond manufacturing, the factory will function as a practical training hub for vocational and technical institutions across the state, supporting skills transfer, workforce development and technology diffusion.
Haier’s ₦40.88 billion expansion plans in Nigeria
Sun Yongle, Vice President of Haier Group, said the ₦27.26 billion facility represents the first phase of the company’s investment footprint in Enugu State, with additional capital commitments already in view.
“But this factory marks only the first stage of our investment in Enugu State,” he said, outlining plans for a further ₦40.88 billion ($30 million) expansion into complementary sectors. The next phase, he noted, will include the establishment of a local research and development centre as well as a dedicated training centre for students.
Sun disclosed that the plant will initially employ about 100 staff, with headcount projected to exceed 200 employees when fully operational.
“The Enugu Haier Factory has a designed production capacity of 200,000 units per year, focusing on ICT products, medical equipment and new energy products,” he added.
Governor Mbah framed the investment as part of a broader strategy to attract foreign direct investment into Enugu’s technology and industrial ecosystem. He described the project as the “convergence of vision, innovation and opportunity,” aimed at producing “Made-in-Enugu” technologies capable of competing in regional and global markets.
The governor also credited recent federal economic reforms for improving investor confidence, citing the strengthening of the naira, growth in public reserves and a downward trend in inflationary pressures as contributing factors to renewed private-sector interest in subnational industrial projects.
The inauguration of the ICT factory signals a renewed push by state governments to leverage manufacturing-led digital transformation as a pathway to job creation, skills development and technology sovereignty within Nigeria’s evolving digital economy.
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