President Muhammadu Buhari has received a Made-in-Nigeria cellphone at the State House in Abuja.

Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo presented the phone to Buhari, before the commencement of the cabinet meeting currently holding at the First Lady Conference room, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Introducing the product to the President, Adebayo said it was produced by the Electrical/Electronics Technology Department of the Industrial Training Fund’s (ITF) Model Skills Training Centre, using locally sourced components.

“Twelve indigenous mobile cell phones produced by the Model Skills Training Centre of the Industrial Training Fund; an agency under Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment was launched,” Adebayo said.

“It gives me great pleasure Mr President, to present you with one of the phones.”

What you should know

Buhari's receipt of a made-in-Nigeria cellphone comes just days after the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami disclosed that Nigeria has the capacity to produce SIM cards and smart phones.

He said this was besides the country’s capacity to produce 60-70 per cent of smartphone components and SIM cards locally.

According to him: “We came up with a policy that we wanted Nigeria to produce a minimum of 60 to 70 per cent of what we need in the telecommunications sector in the next two to three years locally and we have started it.

“When this administration came in, even SIM cards were imported into country, but as of today, the Federal Government has provided an enabling environment for the private sector and we now have the capacity to produce SIM cards, not only for our consumption, but for the African continent.

“We have the capacity to produce a minimum of 200 million SIMS yearly. We have provided an enabling environment for the private sector to start the production of smartphones,” he stated.