The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has restated its commitment to supporting the indigenous companies in advancing local content in the telecommunications sector of the economy.
The Commission disclosed that 100 percent of the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Cards being used in the country are manufactured locally.
Babagana Digima, Head of New Media and Information Security at NCC, stated this at a training for media executives in Lagos, tagged, “Upskilling Media Stakeholders on Trends in Telecommunications”.
Digima attributed the feat to the Commission’s commitment to encouraging local content and indigenous participation.
He stressed that NCC has continued to encourage the industry players through the Nigeria Office for Development in Indigenous Telecommunications Sector (NORDIT).
According to him: “The NCC, by Section 1D to F of our Act, has spelt out our function to encourage indigenous participation of telecoms companies, as well as the national policy for promotion of indigenous content in the Telecommunications Sector which established NORDIT.
“Indigenous participation is one of the key areas NORDIT has played a major role.
“As recent as two years ago, almost 99 percent of SIM Cards used in Nigeria were imported.”
He, however, revealed when NORDIT came along, the NCC made it one of its key low-hanging fruits that in five to six months, SIM Cards would be manufactured locally.
The NCC Head of New Media and Information Security noted: “We directed all the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to source their SIM cards locally. And this has been working since.
“As of now 100, percent of the SIM cards used in Nigeria are manufactured locally, no more importation.”
Digima also disclosed that the Commission is currently advocating indigenous participation in all aspects of telecommunications in Nigeria.
NORDIT has provided grants and incentives to some companies to ensure the industry develops in this regard, stated he.
He stated: “We are currently sponsoring the manufacture of Corrugated Ordinal Duct, and the company that will be established will be the first in Africa to manufacture such kind of product.
“We also encourage tower manufacture, fibre manufacture, and have been in touch with Coleman Cables, which are currently manufacturing fibre cables.
“They have even overtaken the only company in Egypt in manufacturing capacity and they are expanding.
“I am sure a lot of companies are very happy with what we have done.”
