The Enugu State Government, in partnership with Chinese firm Haier Factory, has launched a digital training programme for secondary school students across the state.
The programme aims to equip students with practical technological skills for self-reliance and entrepreneurship after graduation.
Tagged “Enugu-Haier Joint School-Enterprise Cooperation Training Programme (JSECT-P)”, the initiative was organised by the State Ministry of Education in collaboration with Haier Factory on Tuesday in Enugu.
Speaking at the event, the State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Nkechi Ewoh, said the programme is part of the state government’s broader reforms to transform the education sector through innovation and experiential learning.
Mbah said the establishment of the digital factory is intended to deepen experiential learning from basic to post-basic education levels.
He explained that the first phase of the programme would last three months, while the entire training cycle would run for nine months. Students will attend after school hours, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., to avoid disrupting the academic calendar.
According to him, the programme started with Senior Secondary School Two (SS2) students from science, technical and vocational schools, with students from conventional secondary schools to join later.
“The expected outcome is that the students will become self-reliant and digitally skilled. By the time they complete secondary school, they will be far ahead of their peers in other states,” he said.
He added that the government plans to financially empower the trainees after the programme to enable them to establish startups and practical ventures.
The commissioner disclosed that students would participate in batches of 40 to ensure effective learning and proper supervision.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Science Technical and Vocational Schools Management Board (STVSMB), Mrs Amaka Ngene, represented by Mrs Ngozi Chibuoke, described the programme as a bold initiative aligned with the vision of repositioning education for productivity, innovation and global competitiveness.
Ngene said the collaboration with Haier would expose students to smart manufacturing, robotics, electronics and industrial production systems.
She urged the students to demonstrate discipline, curiosity and creativity throughout the training.
The Executive Director of Haier Factory in Enugu, Mr Rich Chime, said the project was designed to facilitate knowledge transfer from Chinese technology companies to Nigerian youths and industries.
Chime noted that the factory had already produced over 30,000 desktop computers, laptops and other devices for the state’s smart school initiative. He added that the company had also produced about 5,000 interactive smart screens for schools.
“We are building a smart factory to support the state government’s smart school initiative. The students will also benefit from training in renewable energy and modern production systems,” he said.
Haier instructor, Mr Andrew Yuang, said the factory is committed to building local content capacity and exposing students to cutting-edge technologies.
“We want to combine real production experience with textbook knowledge to empower the students for future careers and industrial development,” he said.
One of the students, Michael Maduemesi, expressed excitement about the training, describing it as an eye-opening experience.
“We have learned about machines used for printing and labelling on devices and ID cards. This place provides opportunities for youths like us and gives us technical knowledge for the future,” he said.
