The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced that all SIM cards used in Nigeria are now produced in the country.Â
During a training session for media executives in Lagos, Babagana Digima, the NCC’s Head of New Media and Information Security, revealed this development.
The two-day training programme, “Upskilling Media Stakeholders on Trends in Telecommunications,” reportedly had the goal of improving media professionals’ comprehension of the most recent developments and trends in the telecom industry.
Digima credited this to the NCC’s significant initiatives, led by the Nigeria Office for Development in the Indigenous Telecommunications Sector (NORDIT), to support indigenous engagement in the telecom sector and local content.
He emphasised that almost all SIM cards in Nigeria were imported till recently. “In Nigeria, between 99 and 100 percent of SIM cards were imported prior to NORDIT’s action. Our objective was to buck this trend in the next five to six months. As of right now, Digima claimed, all SIM cards used in Nigeria are produced domestically and are not imported.
The former head of NORDIT, Digima, highlighted the advocacy work the commission is doing to increase Indigenous engagement in the telecom industry as a whole. He mentioned that NORDIT has supported industrial development by offering grants and incentives to a number of businesses.
One such example is the corrugated ordinary duct that we are currently funding, which will be the first in Africa. Additionally, we support regional manufacturing of fibre cables and telecom towers. In terms of capacity, the local firm Coleman Cables has exceeded the sole other producer in Egypt and is still growing, he said.
The NCC is required by Sections 1D through F of its Act to promote the involvement of domestic telecom providers.
The Nigerian Office for Developing the Indigenous Telecom Sector (NORDIT) was established as a result of this national policy for encouraging indigenous content in the telecoms industry.
NCC spokesman Digima clarified, “One of NORDIT’s primary areas of impact has been in fostering Indigenous participation.”
The NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, spoke at the occasion as well. Maida underlined the significance of bridging the communication gap between the commission and the public, represented by Engineer Abraham Oshadami, the NCC’s Executive Commissioner for Technical Services.
He emphasised the media’s crucial role, pointing out that executives from print, broadcast, and online media outlets are involved in the endeavour.
Maida went on to clarify the training’s goals, saying that they were to create a solid database of essential media partners and cultivate strategic connections with media players. “This will guarantee that consumers are well-informed about developments within the sector and help shape the industry landscape,” he continued.