Professor Umar Danbatta, the executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has enumerated key achievements made in the Nigeria’s telecommunications industry since the first edition of the Nigerian Telecommunication Indigenous Content Expo (NTICE).

He highlighted that the policy that places ban on importation of whole- body SIM cards which was announced at the maiden NTICE event last year, has led to economic gains.

This ban, Danbatta said, has not only eased the burden on the country’s demand for foreign exchange but has also created business in excess of N55bn for the local SIM card manufacturers.

The EVC, speaking at the ongoing NTICE 2023 though Engineer Ubale Maska, Executive Commissioner, Technical Services at NCC, said that ban on importation of whole-body SIM cards, in turn, has created direct and indirect jobs.

“Nigeria with its rich history of innovation, resilience, and creativity as well as our diverse culture, talents, and perspectives has birthed solutions that uniquely cater for our challenges and aspirations”, he said.

He said that without any doubt, the Nigerian Telecoms Sector is amongst the biggest contributors to socio-economic growth of the country, as evidenced by the numerous achievements of the sector.

“It is not out of place to mention that the sector’s performance was instrumental to lifting Nigeria out of recession with 12.45% contribution to the GDP in Q4 2020. This figure increased to 14.13% as at Q1 2023.

“The Sector is also home to two (2) of the most valuable listed companies in Nigeria with a collective market capitalization in excess of N10.45 trillion,” Danbatta said.

Recall also that the Commission in 2021 and 2022, generated revenue in excess of USD$820m from the auction and grant of 3.5GHz Spectrum band licences to three operators to boost the deployment of Fifth Generation (5G) services in Nigeria. This placed Nigeria on the global 5G map ahead of many countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

“It is also important to note that while Quality of Service and Quality of Experience in telecommunications services in Nigeria have continued to improve, tariffs have remained stable notwithstanding the increase in cost-of-service provision to the telecom operators. In order to sustain and further improve Quality of Service and Quality of Experience in telecommunications services in Nigeria, we must embrace indigenous content and value creation within the telecoms value chain, otherwise, increase in telecoms tariff will be inevitable.

“The Commission is fully committed to the drive of the Federal Government to place the Nigerian Economy on a sustainable pedestal through all the necessary policies put in place.

“When we created the Nigeria Office for Development of Indigenous Telecoms Sector (NODITS) as a Special Purpose Vehicle under the Commission to drive the National Policy for Promotion of Indigenous Content in the Nigerian Telecommunications Sector in July 2021, the Office was given four areas of focus: Manufacturing, Human Capacity, Research & Development (R&D) and Software & Services development for the telecoms sector.

“Today, I am happy to inform you that NTICE is one of the achievements of NCC through NODITS because it has served not only to promote Pillar number 5 (Strategic Partnering) of the Strategic Management Plan SMP 2020- 2024 of the Commission but has also become the flagship indigenous content event for the industry.

“The Commission has also incentivized the manufacturing of Corrugated Optical Duct (COD) that will be used to protect our fibre infrastructure from the incessant cuts experienced by our service providers.

“The Commission is equally committed to continuously supporting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Innovators to promote our talented young persons and ventures though Angel Investments, R&D support, exposure to Investors and sponsorship to local and international tech events.

He further stressed that the NTICE 2023 platform is a celebration of these achievements, a testament to the Nigerian spirit of ingenuity.

Photo from NTICE 2023

Themed: “Harnessing Indigenous Content for Economic Growth: Networking to Boost Investment”, the Commission said it is mobilizing stakeholders for a remarkable outing, following a very impressive showing at the maiden edition of the event last year.

The NTICE is being coordinated by the Commission’s Nigeria Office for Developing the Indigenous Telecom Sector (NODITS), which superintends over efforts for effective implementation of the National Policy on the Promotion and Implementation of Indigenous Contents in the Telecommunications Sector, (NPPIC).

The Expo is open to multisectoral participants, including indigenous telecom operators, manufacturers, regulators, government agencies, policymakers, innovators, industry leaders, startups, other actors in the telecom ecosystem, academia and global experts to showcase their products and services, innovative solutions and new technologies.

The Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 empowers the NCC to encourage local and foreign investments in the Nigerian communications industry, introduce innovative services and practices as well as promote the participation of Nigerians in the ownership, control and management of communications companies and development of communications manufacturing and supply sectors.

Therefore, NTICE 2023 is being organised in keeping with the extant provisions of the NCA 2003, and to promote the four focus areas of the NPPIC, which are Manufacturing, Service, People as well as Research and Development for innovation in line with the Federal Government’s drive to diversify the economy. 

The event has continued to serve as a rare assemblage of stakeholders where diverse thoughts can be shared in contexts that advance utilization of indigenous contents in the nation’s telecommunications industry.

Participation at the event requires mandatory formal registration ahead of the day of the event and the Commission has created the link for this purpose, and intending participants are advised to register before August 22, 2023.

In an interaction with the NCC’s in-house media recently, Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, reiterated that NTICE is Nigeria’s largest annual indigenous telecoms, tech and startups, manufacturing and innovative event that brings to stakeholders the powerful connections and valuable new relationships that highlights the achievements and vast potentials of a tech-driven digital economy.

The 2023 Expo is billed to project the achievements of indigenous content by the government for the sector and afford participants the platform to showcase their products and services, innovative solutions and new technologies.