Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, said the country now has capacity to produce SIM cards and smartphones for the continent of Africa.
The minister said henceforth importation of SIM cards and other 60-70 percent of items needed in telecommunications sector will be produced locally.
Speaking with newsmen at the national secretariat of All Progressives Congress (APC) Thursday in Abuja, Pantami said Nigeria has capacity to produce a minimum of 200 million SIMS annually.
“We came up with a policy that we wanted Nigeria to in the next two to three years, that a minimum of 60 to 70 percent of what we need in the telecommunications sector, that is going to be produced locally. We have started it.
“When this administration came on board, even SIM cards were imported to Nigeria but as it is today, the federal government has provided an enabling environment for the private sector and as it is today, we have the capacity 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 SIMS annually. We have provided an enabling environment for the private sector to start the production of smartphones. Today in Nigeria, we are producing smartphones.”
