Telecom
Minister of Communications Claims Nigeria is Now Producing Smatrtphones
Isa Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy has disclosed that Nigeria is already producing SIM cards and Smartphones.
And he added that the country has the capacity to produce the items to satisfy the African continent.
The minister made this known at the All Progressives Congress (APC) Professional Forum on Thursday, held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
The event was organised by the forum for government appointees to give accounts of their stewardship in office to Nigerians.
Pantami, while speaking at the event, assured that henceforth, importation of SIM cards and other 60-70 per cent of items needed in the telecommunication sector would be produced locally.
According to him, Nigeria has the capacity to produce a minimum of 200 million SIM cards annually.
“We came up with a policy that in the next two to three years, a minimum of 60 to 70 per cent of what we need in the telecommunications sector is going to be produced locally and we have started it.
“When this administration came on board, even SIM cards were imported into Nigeria.
“But, as it is today, the Federal Government has provided an enabling environment for the private sector to produce SIM cards, not only for our consumption, but for the entire African continent.
“We have the capacity to produce a minimum of 200 million SIM cards annually and have provided an enabling environment for the private sector to start the production of smart phones.
“Today in Nigeria, we are producing smart phones,” the minister said.
Giving account of his stewardship, Pantami said strategies were being deployed by the sector, under his supervision, to support the three-point agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government that include: security, anti-corruption, and economic development.
He added that the ministry was implementing over a dozen policies, to enable the digitalisation of Nigeria in line with global best practice.
Pantami said that as at March, 2021, the sector had successfully saved over N22.4 billion for the Federal government by executing its mandate in support of the anti-corruption drive of the Buhari administration.
He said this was achieved through the implementation of the Information Technology (IT) Projects clearance policy.
“Under this policy, over 727 institutions have complied with over 323 projects cleared in accordance with laid down guidelines,” the minister said.
Pantami cited the policy on virtual engagements for public institutions as providing the impetus to fighting corruption and reducing the cost of governance and promoting e-governance.
In the area of economic development, Pantami said that enabling policies enacted in the sector to support the digitalisation of the economy had empowered it to provide and enhance digital capacities among citizens.
He noted that the National Policy on Entrepreneurship and Start-ups and the Digital Literacy and skills pillar of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria had given impetus to the acquisition of digital skills and job creation in the sector.
The minister added that under the Digital Nigeria portal, over 210,000 citizens, including women, youths and the physically challenged, had been equipped with various digital skills for economic empowerment.
He noted that the sector had established over 300 ICT Centres, fully funded by the Federal Government across all states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
On security, Pantami noted that though it was not a direct mandate of his ministry, it was a priority of government and the sectoral policies to aid security agencies in the discharge of their duties had been developed and implemented.
He cited the National Policy on SIM registration and the revised Policy on NIN/SIM linkage as a huge boost to the nation’s security.
This, he said, was especially so that it would no longer be business as usual for criminal elements who, hitherto, used stolen identities to perpetrate crime unhindered.
MTN Nigeria is set to reignite the dreams of creatives with the launch of its Best of the Streets talent competition for the 2025 edition. This initiative aims to discover and nurture Nigeria’s next generation of creative talent.
L-R: Mobolaji Ogunlende, Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Lagos State; Dapo “D’Banj” Oyebanjo, Singer and Founder of C.R.E.A.M platform; Dandizzy, Rapper and Singer; A’isha Umar Mumuni, Chief Digital Officer, MTN Nigeria and Obi Asika, Nigerian music executive and Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture, NCAC., at the Best of the Streets press briefing on Wednesday, April 23 held at the MTN Rooftop Events Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Slated to commence on May 1, 2025, the competition offers unsigned artists a transformative platform to compete for life-changing rewards, including a grand money prize, professional music video production, and an EP recording deal.
At the press briefing on Wednesday April 23, A’isha Umar Mumuni, Chief Digital Officer of MTN Nigeria, emphasized the initiative’s impact.
“The premise of Best of the Streets is that there’s talent in every street in Nigeria, whether it’s acting, singing, dancing, comedy or other performance arts.
“Best of the Streets seeks to bring out that talent, to show Nigerian youths that there are opportunities everywhere; and at MTN, we are very proud to take part in creating these opportunities.”
Best of the Streets is in collaboration with C.R.E.A.M (Creative Reality Entertainment Art and Music), founded by Nigerian rapper, Dapo “D’Banj” Oyebanjo is a platform which provides talent management, publishing, and funding support to grassroots artists.
“The C.R.E.A.M platform provides solutions and services for talents, creatives and entrepreneurs, by granting them convenient access to showcase their skills and monetize their content. With our newly launched distribution arm, we are not just discovering talent, we are giving them the tools to take them global,” D’banj explained.
Chris Anokute, Nigerian-born LA-based American Executive, known for discovering global superstar Katy Perry, commended the efforts of this initiative in pushing local Nigerian music to the international stage. “Best of the Streets is the greatest artiste discovery platform I’ve seen come out of Africa.
“The music industry is, as of last year, a 30-billion-dollar industry. Afrobeats is the fastest growing genre in the entire world, over 1.1 million hours of music streamed out of Nigeria on Spotify this year alone.”
On the importance of empowering the creative capacities of the youth, Mobolaji Ogunlende, Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Social Development in Lagos State. “As a government, we have vowed not to leave anybody behind in Lagos state, irrespective of their background.
“There are about 30 million citizens in Lagos, and 60% of the youth. Not every youth will be able to go to school, but we still have the creatives, digital, fashion icons, among others. This platform is an avenue to encourage them.”
To participate, aspiring contestants can dial *463# on their MTN line, upload original content via the official @creamplatform, and mobilise votes from the public. Over 2584 creatives are set to be showcased and rewarded this year. Entries into this competition continue up until December, with daily, weekly and monthly winners, with a final winner who will secure the grand prize.
The Best of the Streets initiative reinforces MTN’s commitment to youth empowerment and creative innovation, aligning with Nigeria’s growing entertainment industry demands.
Meta has announced its intention to appeal the decision of the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT), which upheld a $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) over its data practices.
The penalty follows a 38-month investigation conducted by the FCCPC, in collaboration with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), which ran from 2021 to December 2023.
The investigation found evidence of unauthorised data sharing, insufficient user consent mechanisms, and discriminatory practices that treated Nigerian consumers differently from those in other regions.
In July 2024, the FCCPC imposed the $220 million fine on Meta and WhatsApp, citing violations of Nigeria’s data protection and consumer rights laws. Additionally, the ruling mandated corrective actions to ensure that Meta’s business practices comply with Nigerian regulations.
In a decision delivered on Friday, April 25, the tribunal upheld the fine, reaffirming the FCCPC’s authority and investigative processes. The tribunal also ordered Meta to pay an additional $35,000 to cover the costs incurred during the investigation.
However, Meta expressed disagreement with the tribunal’s ruling, stating in a statement on Saturday, April 26, that it would urgently seek to appeal the decision and apply for a stay of execution.
“We are urgently applying to stay the order and appeal today’s decision to avoid any impact to users,” WhatsApp said.
The company also contested the tribunal’s findings, claiming that the ruling misrepresented how WhatsApp operates and contained inaccuracies regarding its data practices.
Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal has upheld a $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Meta Platforms Inc. and WhatsApp LLC for data privacy violations in Nigeria.
The Tribunal also awarded $35,000 in investigative costs to the country’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission .
In a statement issued by the FCCPC, the Tribunal delivered its judgment in the appeal filed by Meta Platforms Incorporated (Facebook) and WhatsApp LLC against the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), affirming the Commission’s authority and ruling in favour of its actions on nearly all contested issues.
According to the statement by the FCCPC, “The Tribunal specifically determined that the Commission adhered to prevailing laws, fulfilled its mandate, and exercised its powers by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“It ruled that the multiple actions by WhatsApp and Meta, for which the Commission made findings of violations, were correctly identified, and that the Commission did not err in making those findings.”
The statement revealed that WhatsApp and Meta’s legal team was led by Professor Gbolahan Elias (SAN), while the FCCPC was represented by Babatunde Irukera.
It added that both legal teams presented their final arguments on behalf of their respective clients on January 28, 2025.
“The FCCPC had on July on July 19, 2024, issued a Final Order imposing a $220 million administrative penalty after concluding that the companies engaged in discriminatory and exploitative practices against Nigerian consumers, the investigation started in 2020.
“The case arose from a 38-month joint investigation initiated by the FCCPC and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) into the conduct, privacy practices, and consumer data policies of Meta Platforms and WhatsApp.
“Dissatisfied with the Order last year, Meta and WhatsApp appealed to the Tribunal, challenging both the legal basis and the findings of the Commission,” FCCPC said.
The Tribunal upheld the FCCPC’s authority and investigative procedures in Meta and WhatsApp’s appeal, resolving most of the contested issues in the Commission’s favour.
It confirmed that the FCCPC acted within its constitutional and statutory mandate, particularly regarding fair hearing, data protection, and consumer rights.
While it dismissed the majority of the appellants’ objections, it set aside one specific order (Order 7) for lacking sufficient legal basis.
While expressing satisfaction with the judgment, Tunji Bello, executive vice chairman/CEO, commended the Commission’s legal team for their exceptional diligence and forensic expertise in assembling evidence and presenting their case.
He reaffirmed the FCCPC’s unwavering commitment not only to protecting the rights of Nigerian consumers but also to promoting fair business practices in line with the FCCPA (2018) and the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Nigerian government.
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