The Federal Government is advancing plans to establish smartphone manufacturing plants in Nigeria, targeting lower mobile device costs, expanded digital access, and job creation across the country. Idris Olorunnimbe, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), confirmed that discussions are underway to secure presidential incentives for investors willing to set up smartphone production facilities in Nigeria.
Initiative Aims to Attract Private Investment
Speaking after the Digital Africa Summit Roundtable in Shanghai, Olorunnimbe stated that the initiative would encourage greater private-sector investment in Nigeria's digital economy while strengthening the country's manufacturing capacity. He emphasized that manufacturing smartphones locally would make devices more affordable for Nigerians and generate thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities.
Boosting Digital Inclusion Through Local Production
According to Olorunnimbe, increased local production would improve digital inclusion by making quality smartphones accessible to students, young people, and small business owners who currently cannot afford many imported devices. He noted that domestic manufacturing would also strengthen Nigeria's industrial sector by deepening local value chains, encouraging supporting industries, and reducing dependence on imported smartphones.
Nigeria's reliance on imported devices has left consumers vulnerable to high prices and supply chain disruptions, making local production a more sustainable solution, Olorunnimbe explained. To encourage investment, companies that begin construction of smartphone factories before November will receive government support to ease their market entry. The NCC will also help connect serious manufacturers with regulatory and policy support.
Reducing Forex Pressure and Positioning Nigeria as a Regional Hub
Olorunnimbe said producing smartphones within Nigeria would reduce manufacturers' exposure to foreign exchange volatility, as a significant portion of production expenses would be incurred in naira. This would help stabilize retail prices, improve affordability, and allow millions of Nigerians priced out of the smartphone market to own internet-enabled devices. Beyond serving local demand, Nigeria could emerge as a regional centre for smartphone assembly and technology manufacturing, creating opportunities for engineers, technicians, logistics providers, component suppliers, retailers, and others along the production chain.
Lessons from Past Attempts
While acknowledging that previous local smartphone manufacturing efforts faced setbacks due to poor product quality, inadequate after-sales support, and weak consumer confidence, Olorunnimbe insisted that future locally assembled devices must compete favourably with imported alternatives. "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 vast market potential is underscored by more than 170 million mobile connections and over 150 million mobile internet users, according to the NCC chairman.
