By CHRISTIANA FADARE

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says 100 per cent of the SIM cards used in the country are manufactured locally.

Engr. Babagana Digima, the Head, New Media and Information Security, NCC, said this at a training for media executives in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two-day training had the title: “Upskilling Media Stakeholders on Trends in Telecommunications.”

Digima attributed the feat to the commission’s commitment in encouraging local content and indigenous participation in the industry through the Nigeria Office for Development in Indigenous Telecommunications Sector (NORDIT).

“The NCC by Section 1D to F of our Act has spelt out our function to encourage indigenous participation of telecom companies as well as the national policy for promotion of indigenous content in the Telecommuncations Sector which established NORDIT.

“Indigenous participation is one of the key areas NORDIT has played a major role.

“Previously, in the last two years, almost 99 per cent to 100 per cent of SIM cards in Nigeria were imported.

“And when NORDIT came, we made it one of our key low-hanging fruits that in five months to six months manufacture of SIM cards will be indigenous.

“We directed all the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to source their SIM cards locally, and in fact, as at now 100 per cent of all the SIM cards used in Nigeria are manufactured locally, no importation,” Digima said.

Digima, the former Head of NORDIT, noted that the commission through NORDIT engage in advocacy work to encourage indigenous participation of companies and people in all aspects of telecoms.

He said that NORDIT had also provided grants and incentives to some companies to ensure the development of the industry.

“For now, we are currently sponsoring the manufacture of Corrugated Ordinal Duct, and the company that will be established will be the first in the whole of 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,” he said.

Also speaking, the Executive Vice-Chairman, NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, said the initiative to upskill senior media executives was borne out of the need to bridge the gap between the commission and how it was understood by its publics.

Maida, who was represented by Engr. Abraham Oshadami, the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC, said the commission needed to develop a mechanism that would enable the consumers and stakeholders understand how things work in the industry.

“These have led to the birth of this beautiful initiative. If our industry must succeed, there must be proper enlightenment and education.

“So, your physical role cannot be overemphasised and that is why these are carefully selected executives from across all platforms including print, broadcast, and the online media.

“It is to enable you understand the commission and to see the operational interventions that the commission has engaged in over the time, as well as challenges we are having.

“This will enable us to work together to shape the landscape and also to help consumers understand what is really happening,” he said.

He added that the aim of the training was to develop a reliable database of core partners within the geography of media systems and to cultivate a strategic relationship with media stakeholders. (NAN)

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