Nigeria Achieves Full Production of SIM Cards Locally, 2 Years After Import Ban

Nigeria has achieved a significant milestone in its telecommunications industry, with the country now producing 100% of its SIM cards locally.  

This achievement comes just two years after the federal government implemented a ban on the importation of SIM cards, a move aimed at promoting local content and boosting indigenous participation in the sector. 

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) revealed this development during a recent media training session in Lagos. 

Babagana Digima, the Head of New Media and Information Security at the NCC, stated that the commission’s efforts, led by the Nigeria Office for Development in the Indigenous Telecommunications Sector (NODITS), have been instrumental in driving this transformation. 

Local SIM Card Production in Nigeria: Fostering Indigenous Participation

“Before NODITS’ intervention, nearly all SIM cards in Nigeria were imported,” Digima explained. “We set an ambitious goal to reverse this trend, and now 100% of SIM cards used in Nigeria are manufactured locally.”  

The NCC’s initiatives have included providing grants and incentives to various companies, such as sponsoring the production of Corrugated Ordinal Duct and encouraging the local manufacturing of telecom towers and fibre cables. 

This support has enabled Nigerian manufacturers, like Coleman Cables, to surpass their counterparts in Egypt in terms of production capacity and continue expanding their operations. 

“One of NODITS’ key areas of impact has been in fostering Indigenous participation,” Digima added, highlighting the commission’s mandate to encourage the involvement of local telecom companies in the industry. 

Government’s Commitment to Local SIM Card Production in Nigeria

The NCC’s efforts align with the federal government’s broader strategy to increase indigenous content in the ICT sector. 

In June 2022, the then Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, announced the establishment of a SIM card manufacturing plant in Lagos, followed by the ban on SIM card imports in August 2022. 

“Let me make it clear that the federal government will no longer tolerate the importation of sim cards. We are now producing them in Nigeria,” Pantami stated at the time.  

The impact of these initiatives has been significant, with Nigeria recording 219.3 million telephone service subscribers as of March 31, 2024, highlighting the sector’s robust growth and the positive impact of local manufacturing efforts. 

Read More: NCC Suggests Partnerships to Cut Telecom Costs in Nigeria

Sustaining Quality of Service

“To sustain and further improve Quality of Service and Quality of Experience in telecommunications services in Nigeria, we must embrace Indigenous content and value creation within the telecoms value chain, otherwise, an increase in telecoms tariff will be inevitable,” said Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, the Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC. 

The NCC’s training session for media executives aimed to enhance their understanding of current trends and the commission’s strategic goals, further strengthening the partnership between the regulator and the media in informing the public about developments in the telecom sector.

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