Dr Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, said Nigeria has the capacity to produce SIM cards and smart phones for the African continent.
The minister said this at an event hosted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Professional Forum on Thursday in Abuja at the party’s national secretariat.
The event was organized by the forum for government appointees to report on their management in office to Nigerians.
Pantami, while speaking at the event, assured that now, the import of SIM cards and other 60 to 70 percent of the items needed in the telecommunications sector would be produced locally.
According to him, Nigeria has the capacity to produce a minimum of 200 million SIM cards per year.
“We have developed a policy that over the next two or three years, at least 60-70% of what we need in the telecommunications industry will be produced locally and we launched it.
“When this administration came on board, even the SIM cards were imported into Nigeria.
“But, as is the case today, the federal government has created an enabling environment for the private sector to produce SIM cards, not just for our consumption, but for the entire African continent.
“We have the capacity to produce at least 200 million SIM cards per year and have provided an enabling environment for the private sector to start producing smart phones.
“Today in Nigeria we are producing smart phones,” the minister said.
Reporting on his management, Pantami said that strategies are being deployed by the sector, under his supervision, to support the three-point agenda of the government led by President Muhammadu Buhari which includes: security, anti-corruption and economic development.
He added that the ministry is implementing more than a dozen policies, to enable the digitization of Nigeria in accordance with global best practices.
Pantami said that in March 2021, the sector had managed to save more than 22.4 billion naira for the federal government by fulfilling its mandate in support of the Buhari administration’s anti-corruption campaign.
He said this was achieved through the implementation of the Information Technology (IT) Project Authorization Policy.
“Under this policy, more than 727 institutions have complied with more than 323 projects approved in accordance with established guidelines,” said the minister.
Pantami cited the policy on virtual engagements for public institutions as providing the impetus to fight corruption and reduce the cost of governance and promote e-governance.
In the area of economic development, Pantami said enabling policies adopted in the sector to support the digitization of the economy have enabled it to provide and enhance the digital capabilities of citizens.
He noted that the National Policy on Entrepreneurship and Start-ups and the Literacy and Digital Skills pillar of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria had given impetus to digital skills acquisition and development. job creation in the sector.
The Minister added that under the Digital Nigeria portal, more than 210,000 citizens, including women, youth and the physically disabled, had been equipped with various digital skills for economic empowerment.
He noted that the sector had established more than 300 ICT centers, fully funded by the federal government in all states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Regarding security, Pantami noted that although it was not a direct mandate of his ministry, it was a priority of the government and that sectoral policies aimed at assisting the security agencies in the exercise of their functions had been. developed and implemented.
He cited the national policy on SIM registration and the revised policy on the NIN / SIM link as a huge boost to the nation’s security.
This, he said, was mostly so that it wasn’t business as usual for the criminal elements who, until now, have been using stolen identities to perpetrate unhindered crimes.
(NAN)
