NCC Seeks Local Smartphone Factories to Cut Device Prices

The Chairman of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Idris Olorunnimbe, has pledged to secure presidential incentives for investors willing to establish smartphone manufacturing plants in Nigeria.

Olorunnimbe made the commitment during his address at the Digital Africa Summit Roundtable held in Shanghai, China, on June 24, according to a statement released on Saturday.

He described local smartphone production as the most sustainable solution to Nigeria’s growing device affordability challenge and a major step towards expanding digital inclusion.

The NCC chairman said he would personally engage President Bola Tinubu to obtain waivers and other government incentives for manufacturers that commit to beginning 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, local smartphone manufacturing would reduce dependence on imported devices, lower handset prices, create thousands of jobs and strengthen Nigeria’s technology value chain.

He noted that the country’s heavy reliance on imported smartphones exposes consumers to high costs, exchange rate fluctuations and global supply chain disruptions.

Olorunnimbe explained that manufacturing devices locally would allow more production costs to be denominated in naira, helping to stabilise prices and improve access to smartphones for millions of Nigerians.

He added that affordable smartphones are essential for accessing digital banking, online education, e-commerce, remote work and government services.

The NCC chairman also highlighted Nigeria’s market potential, noting that the country has more than 170 million mobile connections and over 150 million mobile internet users.

While acknowledging that previous attempts at local smartphone production faced challenges such as poor quality and weak after-sales support, he insisted that any new initiative must meet global standards.

“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.

Olorunnimbe further disclosed that the NCC is strengthening market regulation through updated Type Approval Regulations and a proposed Device Management System to curb counterfeit, cloned and stolen devices while improving consumer confidence.

He also advocated flexible smartphone financing through instalment payment plans to make digital access more affordable for Nigerians.