Executive Vice chairman/CEO, Aminu Maida

The Nigerian Communications Commission NCC has said that 100 per cent of Subscriber Identity Module SIM, Cards in use in the country are manufactured locally, insisting that no single one is imported.

Speaking in Lagos recently during a training for media executives, with the theme: “Upskilling Media Stakeholders on Trends in Telecommunications”, head of New Media and Information Security at the Commission, Babagana Digima, also disclosed that about two years ago, over 99 per cent of all the SIM Cards used in the country were imported.

He further disclosed that this trend continued until the NCC directed all the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to source their SIM cards locally, a development that reversed the trend, leading to the sourcing of 100 per cent of SIM Cards used in Nigeria locally.

While assuring that the Commission is doing everything within its powers to promote local content inputs in the telecommunications industry in Nigeria, he further hinted that the NCC is currently advocating indigenous participation in all aspects of telecommunications operations in the country.

According to him, NCC has continued to encourage the industry players through the Nigeria Office for Development in Indigenous Telecommunications Sector NORDIT, which has provided grants and incentives to some indigenous companies to ensure the industry develops in this regard.

It was further learnt that the Commission is currently sponsoring the manufacture of Corrugated Ordinal Duct, as the company that is being established in this regard will be the first in Africa to manufacture such kind of product.

The NCC is also encouraging tower and fibre manufacturing locally, and has been in touch with Nigerian firms like Coleman Cables, which is currently manufacturing fibre cables.

Digima attributed these feats to the Commission’s commitment to encouraging local content and indigenous participation in line with its statutory mandate.

He cited section 1(d)-(f) of the NCC Act, which mandates the Commission to encourage indigenous participation of telecoms companies, as well as the National Policy for Promotion of Indigenous Content in the Telecommunications Sector, which also established NORDIT.

“Let me assure you that 100 per cent of the SIM Cards being used in the country today, are manufactured locally. As recent as two years ago, almost 99 per cent of SIM Cards used in Nigeria were imported.

“The NCC has continued to encourage the industry players through NORDIT. Indigenous participation is one of the key areas NORDIT has played a major role. 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 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.

“Currently, we are 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”, Digima also said.