Elegbede Abiodun
… local smartphone production is one of the solutions to Nigeria’s growing device affordability challenge.
The Chairman of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Idris Olorunnimbe, has pledged to secure presidential incentives for investors willing to establish smartphone factories in the country.
This is as he promised in a statement released on Saturday that Nigeria could soon see a new wave of smartphone manufacturing investments.
The statement was from his speech at the Digital Africa Summit Roundtable in Shanghai, China, on June 24.
Olorunnimbe said local smartphone production remains the most sustainable solution to Nigeria’s growing device affordability challenge and a critical step toward deepening digital inclusion.
He pledged to personally engage President Bola Tinubu to secure waivers and other forms of government support for manufacturers that commit to commencing factory construction in Nigeria before November.
“If any manufacturer in this room, or any manufacturer listening to these proceedings will commit to building a factory in Nigeria, and to beginning construction between now and November, I will take that commitment to the President myself and seek the waivers and the support you need to make it happen,” he said.
According to him, attracting smartphone manufacturers to Nigeria would significantly reduce the cost of devices, create thousands of jobs, strengthen local value chains and reduce the country’s heavy dependence on imported handsets.
He noted that the current reliance on imported devices exposes consumers to high prices, foreign exchange volatility and supply chain disruptions, making smartphones unaffordable for many Nigerians.
Olorunnimbe said local manufacturing would allow a larger portion of production costs to be denominated in naira, helping to stabilise prices and improve access to smartphones for millions of Nigerians currently excluded from the digital economy.
He added that affordable smartphones are essential for participation in online education, digital banking, e-commerce, remote work and access to government services.
“Local manufacturing will help expand digital inclusion by making quality smartphones more affordable and accessible to ordinary Nigerians, especially young people, students and small business owners,” he said.
The NCC board chairman also highlighted the broader economic benefits of local production, saying it could position Nigeria as a regional hub for device assembly and technology manufacturing while creating opportunities for engineers, technicians, logistics providers, component suppliers, retailers and other businesses across the supply chain.
He, however, acknowledged that previous attempts at local smartphone production struggled due to poor product quality, weak after-sales support and low consumer confidence.
“The aim is to build phones in Nigeria that match the imported phones on quality and beat them on price. A locally made device that asks Nigerians to settle for less is not worth making,” he stated.
Olorunnimbe said Nigeria’s more than 170 million mobile connections and over 150 million mobile internet users present a significant market opportunity for device manufacturers.
He added that the Federal Government’s digital economy agenda has laid the foundation for increased investment in telecommunications infrastructure and local manufacturing, stressing that the next phase should focus on translating policy goals into industrial growth.
To boost consumer confidence, he said the NCC is improving device regulation and market oversight through updated Type Approval Regulations and the proposed Device Management System.
According to him, the measures will help tackle counterfeit, cloned and stolen devices while improving accountability and traceability across the handset market.
“A phone is only truly cheap if it is real, if it is safe, if it connects properly, and if it carries a warranty the buyer can rely on,” he said.
Olorunnimbe also asked for the expansion of smartphone financing through instalment payment plans, arguing that Nigerians should not be required to pay the full cost of a device upfront before gaining access to digital opportunities.
He admonished governments, regulators and industry stakeholders across Africa to support local production, harmonise device standards and expand access to affordable smartphones, saying the continent must work collectively to build a stronger and more self-reliant digital economy.
NAN
