The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced that all SIM cards used in Nigeria are now manufactured domestically. Babagana Digima, Head of New Media and Information Security at the NCC, made this revelation during a recent media training session in Lagos. The event, titled “Upskilling Media Stakeholders on Trends in Telecommunications,” aimed to update media executives on the latest advancements in the telecom sector.
Local Manufacturing Milestone
According to Digima, the NCC’s efforts, led by the Nigeria Office for Development in the Indigenous Telecommunications Sector (NODITS), have been pivotal in promoting local content and boosting indigenous participation. He highlighted that before NODITS’ intervention, nearly all SIM cards in Nigeria were imported. Now, 100% of SIM cards are produced locally.
Support for Local Manufacturing
Digima, who previously headed NODITS, detailed the commission’s initiatives to support local manufacturing in the telecommunications industry. NODITS has provided grants and incentives to various companies, including those producing telecom towers and fiber cables. Notably, Nigerian manufacturer Coleman Cables has surpassed its Egyptian counterpart in production capacity and continues to expand.
Encouraging Indigenous Participation
“One of NODITS’ key areas of impact has been in fostering indigenous participation,” explained Digima. The NCC’s mandate, under Sections 1D to F of its Act, is to encourage the participation of indigenous telecom companies, which led to the establishment of NODITS. This office has played a critical role in fostering local involvement in the telecom sector.
Enhancing Communication and Media Relations
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Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, also spoke at the event. Represented by Engr. Abraham Oshadami, the Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Maida emphasized the importance of improving communication between the commission and the public. He highlighted the crucial role of the media, which includes executives from print, broadcast, and online platforms.
Maida elaborated on the objectives of the training, which aims to develop a reliable database of media partners and foster strategic relationships with stakeholders. “This initiative will help shape the industry landscape and ensure consumers are well-informed about developments within the sector,” he added.
Background on the Import Ban
In June 2022, the then Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, announced the establishment of a SIM card manufacturing plant in Lagos. In August 2022, Nigeria’s Federal Government announced a ban on importing SIM cards. Pantami stated, “The federal government will no longer tolerate the importation of SIM cards. We are now producing them in Nigeria.” He noted that the aim was to increase indigenous content in the ICT sector so that by 2025, the country would be at least 80% self-reliant.
Economic Impact
About a year later, at the Nigerian Telecommunications Indigenous Content EXPO (NTICE) 2023, the then Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, stated that the ban eased the burden on the sector’s demand for foreign exchange and created business worth over ₦55 billion for local SIM card manufacturers, resulting in the creation of direct and indirect jobs. Danbatta emphasized the need to embrace indigenous content and value creation within the telecoms value chain to sustain and improve the quality of service and experience in telecommunications.
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“Nigeria, with its rich history of innovation, resilience, and creativity, as well as our diverse culture, talents, and perspectives, has birthed solutions that uniquely cater to our challenges and aspirations,” Danbatta said.
