Enugu State has taken a major step towards industrial transformation with the commissioning of a $20 million electronics manufacturing facility by the Haier Group, reinforcing the state’s ambition to become a leading hardware and technology hub in Nigeria’s South-East.
The newly launched factory, developed in partnership with the Enugu State Government, marks one of the most significant foreign direct investments in the region’s manufacturing sector in recent years. The project aligns with the state’s broader economic strategy to transition from a public sector-driven economy to a private-sector-led industrial base.
The facility has been designed with an annual production capacity of about 200,000 units, covering a wide range of products including smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, Android televisions, medical equipment, smart educational boards, and renewable energy solutions targeted at agriculture and transportation.
Governor Peter Mbah, while inaugurating the plant, said the investment reflects the state’s long-term goal of expanding its economy from an estimated $4.4 billion to $30 billion through manufacturing, technology, and innovation. He noted that the project would reduce dependence on imported electronics while strengthening local value chains.
To support the take-off of operations, the Enugu State Government has already placed large procurement orders for technology devices to be deployed across its public education system, including tens of thousands of desktop computers and hundreds of thousands of tablets for its Smart Green Schools programme.
Haier executives disclosed that the Enugu factory represents only the first phase of its Nigerian expansion. The company plans to increase total investment beyond $30 million, scale production into agricultural machinery, mining equipment and transport solutions, and establish a local research and development centre to support product design and skills transfer.
The factory is also expected to serve as a training and innovation hub for technical and vocational institutions in the state, offering internships and hands-on industrial exposure to young Nigerians as part of workforce development efforts.
The commissioning ceremony drew support from federal authorities, with officials linking the project to Nigeria’s wider industrialisation drive under the economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Government representatives described the Enugu-Haier partnership as a critical contribution to national goals around manufacturing growth, technology localisation and long-term economic diversification.
With additional manufacturing projects already underway in the state, Enugu is increasingly positioning itself as a strategic industrial corridor for electronics, clean energy and heavy equipment production in the South-East, signalling a shift in Nigeria’s technology manufacturing landscape.
