Nigeria to produce SIM cards, smartphones for Africa

 

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, says Nigeria has the capacity to produce SIM cards and Smart phones for the African continent.

The minister said this at an event organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Professional Forum on Thursday, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

The event was organised by the forum for government appointees to give account of their stewardship in office to Nigerians.

Pantami, while speaking at the event, assured that henceforth, importation of SIM cards and other 60-70 per cent of items needed in the telecommunication sector would be produced locally.

According to him, Nigeria has the capacity to produce a minimum of 200 million SIM cards annually.

“We came up with a policy that in the next two to three years, a minimum of 60 to 70 per cent of what we need in the telecommunications sector is going to be produced locally and we have started it.

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“When this administration came on board, even SIM cards were imported into Nigeria.

“But, as it is today, the Federal Government has provided an enabling environment for the private sector to produce SIM cards, not only for our consumption, but for the entire African continent.

“We have the capacity to produce a minimum of 200 million SIM cards annually and have provided an enabling environment for the private sector to start the production of smart phones.

“Today in Nigeria, we are producing smart phones,” the minister said.

Giving account of his stewardship, Pantami said strategies were being deployed by the sector, under his supervision, to support the three-point agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government that include: security, anti-corruption and economic development.

He added that the ministry was implementing over a dozen policies, to enable the digitalisation of Nigeria in line with global best practice.