The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta, made this declaration at the opening of the second edition of the Nigerian Telecommunications Indigenous Content Expo, NTICF, recently.

The NCC boss said his commission was 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.

He said when the Nigeria Office for Development of Indigenous Telecoms Sector, NODITS, was created 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, it was given four areas of focus: Manufacturing, Human Capacity, Research & Development (R&D) and Software & Services development for the telecoms sector.

He said at present, the NTICE had become one of the achievements of NCC through NODITS because it had served not only to promote strategic partnering of the Strategic Management Plan SMP 20202024 of the commission but had also become the flagship indigenous content event for the industry.

Danbatta said the commission had also incentivized the manufacturing of Corrugated Optical Duct, COD, that would be used to protect fibre infrastructure from the incessant cuts experienced by the service providers.

He said the commission was equally committed to continuously supporting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Innovators to promote our talented young persons and ventures.

The NCC boss pointed out that another key achievement of its policies was the ban on importation of whole body SIM cards which was announced at the maiden NTICE event last year.

“This ban has not only eased the burden on our demand for foreign exchange but has also created business in excess of N55bn for the local SIM card manufacturers in Nigeria which 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. The NTICE 2023 platform is a celebration of these achievements, a testament to the Nigerian spirit of ingenuity,” he stated.

He added that NTICE was also a place to nurture and support the burgeoning talent pool within Nigeria.

According to him, by showcasing indigenous innovations and providing opportunities for young entrepreneurs, “we are not only nurturing our local talents but also encouraging a culture of entrepreneurship and creativity that will propel Nigeria onto the global stage of technological leadership.”

He said having recognized the persistent digital divide that existed within the country, it became important to  seize the opportunities presented by NTICE 2023 to bridge the gap by advocating for accessible technology and ensuring that the benefits of innovation were extended to every corner of Nigeria.

“This inclusivity is crucial in driving equitable growth and empowering communities to be active participants in the digital revolution.

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Themed “Harnessing Indigenous Content for Economic Growth: Networking to Boost Investment”, the commission said it was mobilising 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 multi-sectoral 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: www.ntice.ncc.gov.ng 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, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, 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.

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Danbatta, who spoke at the inaugural edition of the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition, GITEX, 2023, which ended in Marrakesh, Morocco recently, said Nigeria presented stable political and economic conditions.

Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Morocco, Mansur Bamalli, also spoke in the same direction and commended the commission for its regulatory prowess which has made Nigeria the next investment destination in Africa.

Danbatta, who was represented at the conference by the Team Lead, Nigeria Office for Developing the Indigenous Telecom Sector, NODITS, Babagana Digima, said the commission had a mandate to facilitate the development of the telecom industry in Nigeria, adding that one way through which that could be done was by attracting foreign investors that would further enhance the growth of the economy.

He informed the global stakeholders at the event that the Nigerian government had been very supportive of the telecom industry which had achieved an upward growth with over 220 million active mobile voice subscriptions in Nigeria, over 150 million Internet subscriptions and broadband penetration of 48 per cent, the country is yet to be fully connected.

“Our national plan is to achieve 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025. We still have less than 50 per cent penetration. This means there is huge investment potential for investors. Nigeria’s telecom sector needs more investment in the area of infrastructure deployment,” the EVC stated.

He stated that the telecom sector in Nigeria had become a major contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), quarter-on-quarter, driving the growth of the digital economy in the country.

“The importance of this event for us as a commission is to showcase the NCC as a Nigerian brand, a foremost telecom regulator in Africa and beyond and to bring about the much-needed investment that will enhance development of the Nigerian telecom industry,” Danbatta said.

The EVC stated that there was abundant talents in Nigeria that could be tapped by investors to support their business operations.

“There is abundant human resources waiting to be harnessed by potential investors for ground-breaking global technological innovations and advancement in providing digital solutions.

“This event provides us with the platform to showcase some of the talents that we have discovered in Nigeria. The commission has sponsored three indigenous start-ups that are at this event to display their solutions for prospective investors and partnerships,” he said.

The GITEX Africa 2023 was the maiden edition of the GITEX Global Summit held in Africa.

It is poised to be Africa’s most influential forum to accentuate the vast potential of the tech-driven digital economy.

It aims to be an international platform for cutting-edge technology for all players from both public and private sectors.

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Danbatta made this call in a keynote address delivered at a two-day brainstorming and team-building session organised by NODITS team, which started in Abuja on Thursday, November 25, 2021.

The EVC said the office was very critical to effective mainstreaming of local content development in the nation’s burgeoning telecoms sector.

NODITS is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) designed to stimulate the creation and  development of top quality indigenous content in the telecommunication sector.

The creation of the NODITS on July 5, 2021 and its domiciliary in the commission was sequel to the signing of the National Policy for the Promotion of Indigenous Content in the Telecommunication Sector, NPPIC, by the President in March, 2021.

Represented at the event by the Director, Human Capital and Administration, NCC, Usman Malah, Danbatta said the development of NPPIC, facilitated by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, was essentially aimed at driving the desire of the current administration and the NCC to ensure that indigenes became more active participants in Nigeria’s telecoms sector.

Speaking on management’s expectations from NODITS, the EVC said, as an SPV under the purview of the commission, NODITS would be expected to get involved in development of new guidelines and regulations bordering on indigenous content, local manufacturing of telecom equipment, outsourcing services, construction and lease of telecoms ducts, succession planning in the telecoms sector, among others.

He also implored the NODITS team to adhere to regulatory and ethical principles held in high esteem by the Management of NCC.

“The commission’s commitment to maintaining high standards, ethical conduct, and superior performance is a priority of the Management, hence by extension, NODITS should reflect the established values, guiding principles, strategic awareness and the goodwill associated with the NCC,” he said.

Besides, the EVC said NODITS would be involved in working with various stakeholders towards reducing capital flight, as local manufacturers would be encouraged to participate in the design and manufacturing of devices.

He said the vision would also ensure that manpower requirements towards making indigenes active participants in the Nigeria’s telecoms development were met.

“In essence, NODITS will be expected to initiate strategic programmes and projects that will stimulate the growth of the telecoms sector through an approach that is visionary, focused, sustainable and based on incentives to indigenous telecom stakeholders,” the EVC said added.

The EVC rounded off by congratulating the pioneer team of the new office.

He pointed out that they were carefully selected by NCC management based on their background, dedication, integrity.

He urged the team to work harmoniously within the Office and with other relevant stakeholders to fast-track seamless delivery of its mandates, as clearly spelt out in the NPPIC.

In his remarks, the Team Lead, NODITS, Babagana Digima, spoke about the mission and vision of NODITS, as he made his presentation on the progress so far recorded by the team in five months of its existence.

He said while the Mission of NODITS was “to deliver on the objectives of the National Policy for the Promotion of Indigenous Content in the telecom industry and the Executive Orders 003 & 005,” its vision was “to harmoniously integrate indigenous content in the Nigerian telecoms sector.”

The Executive Order 003 mandates all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, to always grant preference to local manufacturers of goods and service providers for procurement; while the Executive Order 005 seeks the promotion of Nigerian content in contracts bordering on science, engineering and technology.

Digima itemised some of the activities being carried out by NODITS within the last five months of its creation.

The activities include visiting the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA; visitations to various Subscriber Identification Module, SIM, manufacturers; engagements with Mobile Network Operators, MNOs; ongoing training of 60 young entrepreneurs, and developing industry relevant proposals for incentivising Information and Communication Technology, ICT companies by the Federal Government, among others.

In addition, Digima said NODITS had so far identified partners it would be collaborating with towards achieving its mandates.

They include the NCC, NITDA, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON; Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy; Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, NIPC; Nigerian Contents Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, and the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, RMRDC.

Others are the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP; Industrial Training Fund, ITF; National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI; National Automotive Design and Development Council, NADDC; Nigerian Exports Zones Processing Authority, NEZPA; Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, and Ajaokuta Steel Company, ASC.

Digima called on his team at NODITS to work with dedication and purpose towards building a telecoms sector where ingenious players were actively participating in creating values for the overall development of the digital economy.

“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I want us to build a strong and resilient office that will be fit-for-purpose, withstand the test of time and which the telecom industry will look back at and appreciate like the great pyramids of Egypt. All of us will be the designers, thinkers, architects, and builders in this great NODITS journey,” he added.

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