Idris Olorunnimbe, the chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission's Governing Board, has promised to obtain presidential incentives for companies that want to build smartphone manufacturing in the nation. In a statement issued on Saturday, he pledged that Nigeria would soon witness a fresh wave of investments in smartphone manufacture.
The quote came from his June 24 speech at the Digital Africa Summit Roundtable in Shanghai, China. According to Olorunnimbe, local smartphone manufacturing is still the most viable way to address Nigeria's escalating problem with device affordability and is essential to expanding digital inclusion.
In order to gain waivers and other forms of government support for manufacturers who commit to starting plant building in Nigeria before November, he promised to personally approach President Bola Tinubu.
"I will take that commitment to the President myself and seek the waivers and support you need to make it happen if any manufacturer in this room, or any manufacturer listening to these proceedings, will commit to building a factory in Nigeria and to begin construction between now and November," he declared.
He claims that bringing smartphone manufacturers to Nigeria would lower device costs dramatically, boost local value chains, generate thousands of jobs, and lessen the nation's heavy reliance on imported phones.
He pointed out that many Nigerians cannot buy cellphones due to the present reliance on imported gadgets, which exposes consumers to exorbitant costs, fluctuations in foreign exchange, and supply chain interruptions.
According to Olorunnimbe, local manufacturers would enable a greater percentage of production expenses to be expressed in naira, assisting in price stabilization and enhancing smartphone access for millions of Nigerians who are presently shut out of the digital economy.
He went on to say that access to government services, digital banking, e-commerce, remote work, and online education all require reasonably priced cellphones.
According to him, "local manufacturing will help expand digital inclusion by making high-quality smartphones more affordable and accessible to ordinary Nigerians, especially young people, students, and small business owners."
The chairman of the NCC board also emphasized the wider economic advantages of domestic production, stating that it could establish Nigeria as a regional center for technology manufacturing and device assembly while opening doors for engineers, technicians, logistics companies, component suppliers, retailers, and other companies involved in the supply chain.
However, he said that prior attempts at producing smartphones locally had failed because of low customer confidence, poor product quality, and inadequate after-sales assistance.
The goal is to produce phones in Nigeria that are both more affordable and of comparable quality to those that are imported. "It's not worth making a locally produced gadget that demands less from Nigerians," he said.
According to Olorunnimbe, Nigeria's more than 150 million mobile internet users and more than 170 million mobile connections provide device makers a substantial market opportunity.
He emphasized that the next stage should concentrate on converting policy objectives into industrial growth, adding that the Federal Government's digital economy plan has set the stage for greater investment in local manufacturing and telecommunications infrastructure.
He stated that the NCC is strengthening market monitoring and device regulation through the planned Device Management System and amended Type Approval Regulations in order to boost consumer confidence.
He claims that the actions will improve accountability and traceability throughout the handset market while assisting in the fight against stolen, cloned, and counterfeit handsets.
"A phone can only be genuinely inexpensive if it is genuine, safe, connects correctly, and has a reliable warranty," he stated.
Additionally, Olorunnimbe argued that Nigerians shouldn't have to pay the entire cost of a smartphone up front in order to access digital prospects, and he supported the extension of smartphone financing through installment payment plans.
In order to create a more robust and independent digital economy, he called on governments, regulators, and industry partners throughout Africa to promote local manufacturing, harmonize device standards, and provide access to reasonably priced cellphones.
