ALTON backs NCC push for local smartphone production in Nigeria
ALTON Chairman Gbenga Adebayo declared the association’s support for the Nigerian Communications Commission’s push to promote local smartphone manufacturing in Nigeria. Speaking to newsmen on Saturday, Adebayo said the country must shift from being a mere technology consumer to becoming an innovator, designer, and manufacturer of digital technologies, leveraging its large telecom market and youthful population. He emphasized that ambitions should go beyond assembling imported parts to include knowledge transfer, research and development, product engineering, software development, semiconductor capabilities, and large‑scale manufacturing, especially with AI enhancing design, quality assurance, supply chains, and customer experience. Adebayo noted that strong local production backed by quality standards would curb the grey market of counterfeit and non‑type‑approved devices, improve consumer protection, network performance, and keep more value in the economy. He also endorsed innovative smartphone financing, stronger device management, and identity‑enabled credit frameworks to make quality phones more affordable. The comments follow NCC Board Chairman Idris Olorunnimbe’s view at a Digital Africa Summit in Shanghai that affordable smartphones, not network coverage or data costs, remain Nigeria’s biggest digital inclusion hurdle. ALTON previously backed the CBN’s directive for local hosting of payment transaction data from January 1, 2027 to reduce forex exposure for banks and fintechs.