The Chairman of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Idris Olorunnimbe, has pledged to seek presidential incentives for investors willing to establish smartphone manufacturing plants in Nigeria, arguing that local production is the most sustainable solution to the country’s rising cost of mobile devices.
Speaking at the Digital Africa Summit Roundtable in Shanghai, China, on June 24, Olorunnimbe said he would personally approach President Bola Tinubu to secure waivers and other government support for manufacturers that commit to commence factory construction in Nigeria before November.
Key Highlights:
“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, 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 would reduce the country’s dependence on imported devices, lower handset prices, create thousands of jobs and strengthen local supply chains.
He noted that Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imported smartphones has exposed consumers to high costs driven by foreign exchange volatility and global supply chain disruptions, making digital devices increasingly unaffordable for millions of Nigerians.
Olorunnimbe argued that local manufacturing would allow a significant portion of production costs to be denominated in naira, helping to stabilise prices while expanding access to smartphones for citizens currently excluded from the digital economy.
He added that affordable smartphones are essential for 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.
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The NCC board chairman also said local smartphone production could position Nigeria as a regional hub for device assembly and technology manufacturing, creating employment opportunities for engineers, technicians, logistics providers, component suppliers, retailers and other businesses within the value chain.
However, he acknowledged that previous attempts at local smartphone production in Nigeria failed to gain traction due to poor product quality, inadequate after-sales support and weak 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,” Olorunnimbe stated.
He further noted that Nigeria’s more than 170 million mobile connections and over 150 million mobile internet users represent a major commercial opportunity for global device manufacturers.
According to him, the Federal Government’s digital economy policies have created the foundation for greater investment in telecommunications infrastructure and local manufacturing, but the next phase should focus on translating policy into industrial growth.
To improve consumer confidence, Olorunnimbe said the NCC is strengthening device regulation through updated Type Approval Regulations and a proposed Device Management System aimed at combating counterfeit, cloned and stolen phones.
“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.
He also advocated instalment payment plans for smartphones, arguing that Nigerians should not have to pay the full cost of a device upfront before accessing digital services.
Olorunnimbe urged governments, regulators and industry stakeholders across Africa to promote local manufacturing, harmonise device standards and expand access to affordable smartphones, saying the continent must collectively build a more self-reliant digital economy.
