The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled plans to encourage global smartphone manufacturers to establish production facilities in Nigeria, with a promise to secure government incentives aimed at making locally assembled devices more affordable for consumers.
Chairman of the NCC Governing Board, Idris Olorunnimbe, disclosed the plan while speaking at the Digital Africa Summit Roundtable in Shanghai, China, saying local smartphone production would help reduce device costs, create jobs and accelerate digital inclusion across the country.
Support for investors
Olorunnimbe said he was prepared to personally engage President Bola Tinubu to obtain waivers and other incentives for manufacturers willing to commence factory construction in Nigeria before November.
He said the Federal Government was ready to support investors committed to building a sustainable smartphone manufacturing industry capable of serving both the Nigerian and African markets.
According to him, increased local production would reduce the country’s dependence on imported smartphones, minimise the impact of exchange rate fluctuations and make quality devices more accessible to millions of Nigerians.
Expanding access to digital services
The NCC chairman noted that affordable smartphones have become essential tools for education, financial inclusion, e-commerce, healthcare, remote work and access to government services.
He explained that manufacturing devices locally would allow more production costs to be paid in naira, helping to stabilise prices and improve access for students, entrepreneurs and other low-income users.
He added that wider smartphone ownership would support the Federal Government’s digital economy agenda by bringing more Nigerians into the digital space.
Emphasis on quality production
Olorunnimbe acknowledged that previous efforts to produce smartphones locally were unsuccessful because of poor product quality and weak after-sales support.
He stressed that future locally manufactured devices must meet global quality standards while remaining competitively priced.
“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 said.
Nigeria’s growing market
The NCC chairman said Nigeria’s more than 170 million mobile connections and over 150 million mobile internet users make the country an attractive destination for smartphone manufacturers.
He also revealed that the commission is strengthening consumer protection through updated Type Approval Regulations and the proposed Device Management System to eliminate counterfeit, cloned and stolen devices from the market.
Olorunnimbe further called for greater collaboration among African governments, regulators and technology companies to expand local manufacturing, harmonise device standards and introduce flexible instalment payment plans that would enable more citizens to own smartphones without paying the full cost upfront.