Exactly one year after the prohibition of whole body SIM card imports, the local SIM-card manufacturing sector has achieved a remarkable valuation of N55 billion.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC),Prof. Umar Danbatta,shared this significant update during the second edition of the Nigerian Telecommunication Indigenous (NTICE) Expo 2023, which took place in Lagos.
Danbatta, represented at the event by Ubale Maska, the Executive Commissioner of Technical Services at NCC, elaborated on the positive outcomes of the import ban.
He emphasized that beyond alleviating the sector’s foreign exchange pressure, the ban has spurred the growth of a burgeoning industry.
This, in turn, has generated revenue exceeding N55 billion for local SIM card manufacturers, triggering both direct and indirect employment opportunities.
Reflecting on the telecommunications sector’s accomplishments, Danbatta highlighted its pivotal role in Nigeria’s socio-economic growth.
Notably, he mentioned that the sector played a significant part in lifting Nigeria out of recession, contributing 12.45 percent to the GDP in Q4 2020. This percentage rose to 14.13 percent by Q1 2023.
The sector is also home to two of Nigeria’s most valuable listed companies, boasting a combined market capitalization exceeding N10.45 trillion.
The NCC achieved substantial revenue through spectrum license auctions in both 2021 and 2022, totaling more than $820 million.
These auctions were conducted to support the deployment of fifth-generation (5G) services in Nigeria’s telecommunications landscape.
Danbatta underscored the sector’s commitment to enhancing service quality without compromising stable tariffs. He stressed the importance of embracing indigenous content and value creation within the telecom value chain, asserting that neglecting this could lead to inevitable tariff increases.
Danbatta expressed his enthusiasm for the NTICE 2023 platform, characterizing it not only as an exhibition but as a confluence of industry stakeholders fostering innovation, resilience, collaboration, and progress.
He reiterated NCC’s dedication to advancing the Nigerian economy through the promotion of indigenous content in the telecommunications sector.
The creation of the Nigeria Office for Development of Indigenous Telecoms Sector (NODITS) in July 2021 was a significant step in this direction, focusing on manufacturing, human capacity, research and development (R&D), and software and services development within the telecom sector.
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