The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has endorsed the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) call for local smartphone manufacturing, describing the initiative as a critical step toward accelerating broadband adoption, expanding digital inclusion and building Nigeria’s digital economy.
Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, ALTON Chairman, made the remarks while reacting to recent comments by the Chairman of the NCC Board, Idris Olorunnimbe, who urged stakeholders to promote local smartphone production and introduce innovative financing models to make smart devices more affordable for Nigerians.
According to Adebayo, Nigeria must deliberately move beyond being a consumer of imported technology to becoming a global centre for innovation, product design and technology manufacturing.
With one of Africa’s largest telecommunications markets and a youthful, tech-savvy population, he said Nigeria possesses the market size and human capital required to develop a globally competitive digital manufacturing industry.
“Our ambition should extend beyond assembling devices,” Adebayo said.
“We must pursue genuine knowledge transfer, research and development, product engineering, software development, semiconductor capabilities and large-scale manufacturing. Our goal should be to produce digital technologies not only for Nigeria but also for Africa and the global market.”
Adebayo said the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has created new opportunities for Nigeria to establish itself as a technology manufacturing hub.
He noted that AI is already transforming product design, manufacturing processes, quality assurance, supply chain management and customer experience across global industries.
According to him, investment in AI-enabled manufacturing would improve productivity, create high-value jobs, enhance local innovation and strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness within Africa’s growing digital economy.
The ALTON Chairman also identified counterfeit and non-type-approved smartphones as a major challenge facing Nigeria’s telecommunications ecosystem.
He said the widespread availability of grey-market devices undermines consumer protection, affects network performance and limits the growth of legitimate manufacturers.
A robust local manufacturing industry, backed by strict quality standards, would provide consumers with reliable alternatives while retaining more economic value within Nigeria, he said.
“This will strengthen consumer protection, improve network performance, retain greater value within our economy and stimulate industrial growth,” Adebayo stated.
He also endorsed innovative smartphone financing models, stronger device management systems and identity-enabled credit frameworks that would enable more Nigerians to purchase quality smartphones.
Adebayo said telecommunications operators are ready to work closely with government, device manufacturers, financial institutions, investors, development partners and academic institutions to build a sustainable smartphone manufacturing ecosystem in Nigeria.
His comments followed remarks by NCC Board Chairman Idris Olorunnimbe at the Digital Africa Summit Roundtable in Shanghai, where he described smartphone affordability, not network coverage or data prices, as the biggest remaining obstacle to digital inclusion in Nigeria.
According to Olorunnimbe, affordable smartphones have become the primary gateway to digital services, including education, healthcare, financial services, e-commerce and digital government.
He called for coordinated action to promote local manufacturing, trusted devices, innovative financing and supportive regulatory policies to accelerate broadband penetration and unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s digital economy.
