Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has reaffirmed federal government’s determination to reverse the trend of importation of all types of telecommunications products, especially where production in Nigeria is possible.
Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Reuben Muoka said Pantami, who spoke at the first indigenous telecom content expo at the Landmark Center in Lagos, got immediate commendation from the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Professor Umar Danbatta, who told the audience that the minister’s efforts and support has spurred the Commission to take certain steps that have yielded immediate results being showcased at the expo.
Pantami emphasised that government has put efforts towards the protection of the telecom industry, which contribute impressively to the GDP, by insisting on the drastic reduction in the reliance on foreign products. He consequently warned against importation of such products like SIM cards that can be produced locally in Nigerian.
He also took a swipe at the recent efforts to impose 5 per cent Excise Duty on telecommunications services in Nigeria, arguing that the ministry which oversees the industry was not consulted and that the timing of such duty in a period of hardship as is being witnessed in Nigeria today is antithetical to the growth of the industry.
“We must do what we need to do to protect the industry. Beyond making our opinions known, we will take legitimate and legal steps to stop any plan against the interest of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry,” he said.
