NCC Woos Investors to Establish Manufacturing Plants in Nigeria

Emma Okonji

The Chairman, Governing Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe, has called on international tech investors to come to Nigeria and establish local manufacturing hubs.

He assured them that the federal government would offer direct presidential intervention and sweeping economic waivers for hardware companies that anchor their manufacturing hubs in Nigeria by November 2026.

Olorunnimbe made the call during his address at the Digital Africa Summit Roundtable in Shanghai, China.  

Highlighting the government’s total dedication to backing new factories and manufacturing hubs in Nigeria, Olorunnimbe said: “Whatever it takes to get the plant standing, we will pursue it together, because every factory that rises in Nigeria grows our economy, employs our young people, and brings the price of a phone closer to what an average Nigerian can pay. The offer is designed to stimulate immediate foreign direct investment and create sustainable employment for Nigeria’s teeming youth population.”

The Nigerian telecommunications ecosystem is highly vulnerable to external economic shocks, with foreign-exchange swings and import duties constantly pushing genuine, formal devices out of reach for average citizens.

Olorunnimbe stated that the federal government was ready to deploy massive executive support, viewing connectivity infrastructure as the central engine of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), strongly supports the vision articulated by Olorunnimbe, on making smartphone affordability the gateway to Nigeria’s digital future.

Chairman of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, said the NCC boss rightly identified that the major barrier to digital inclusion is no longer network coverage or even the cost of data, but the affordability and accessibility of quality smartphones.

“His call for local production, trusted device ecosystems, and innovative financing provides a practical roadmap for accelerating broadband adoption and digital inclusion across Nigeria,” Adebayo said.