Nigerians are beginning to patronize locally assembled devices as available records show the numbers of devices sold by local Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) in 2018/2019 alone increased to 778,886 in the country.
This is an unprecedented increase compared to 2015-2016 when 250,000 devices were sold by indigenous OEMs.
This increase in the patronage of local OEMs can be attributed to the effort of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), which has demonstrated great support and ensured improved patronage of indigenous OEMs in the last three years.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, the Director-General of NITDA, Mal. Kashifu Inuwa, also attributed the growth to the implementation of the Presidential Executive Order 003 for the promotion of local content, which mandates MDAs to purchase Nigerian hardware products.
“It is a fact that the purchase of local devices by MDAs is unprecedented in the last two years compared to previous years before 2018. For instance, in 2015-2016 less than 250,000 devices were sold by indigenous OEMs. However, due to the intervention of NITDA, records show that in 2018/2019 alone OEMs sold three times the numbers sold prior to 2017 with about 778,886 of locally assembled devices sold in 2018 and 2019,” Inuwa said.
He however noted that there are some challenges with the quality of some of the indigenous brands. But in an effort to address the challenge, NITDA mandated OEMs to go through a rigorous certification process requiring them to have ISO 9001:2015 for quality management systems. This, he said will ensure they are able to provide products that meet quality and regulatory requirements always.
Currently, only three out of ten previously registered OEMs have been fully certified. This may not be unconnected with the country’s procurement law, which requires OEMs to either bid directly or work with other contractors to bid to ensure transparency and value for money.