NCC Advocates Local Smartphone Manufacturing in Nigeria

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), led by Chairman Idris Olorunnimbe, is seeking to establish local smartphone factories in Nigeria to reduce the high prices of mobile devices and enhance digital inclusion. In a statement released on Saturday, Olorunnimbe pledged that the government would provide incentives to attract investors willing to set up manufacturing facilities in the country.

He announced that construction of the factories is set to commence in November. This initiative aims to create thousands of jobs and strengthen the local value chain, reducing Nigeria's heavy reliance on imported handsets, which are subject to price volatility due to foreign exchange fluctuations.

Olorunnimbe emphasized that local manufacturing would allow a larger portion of product costs to be denominated in naira, thereby stabilizing prices and improving access to smartphones for millions of Nigerians, particularly young people and small business owners. He acknowledged past challenges in local smartphone production but expressed confidence in meeting quality standards to compete with imported devices.