Nigeria’s IT Development Agency seeks crash in smart phones prices

The  Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Kashifu Inuwa has urged smart device manufacturing and assembling company, Afrione, to seek means of providing lower cost smart phones for Nigerians.

He made call during a visit to Afrione’s corporate head office  in Lagos state, South-west,Nigeria.

Inuwa said, during a tour of the Factory, that, a reduction in prices of the smart devices is possible, citing the example of sim cards which were expensive at the initial stages of smart and mobile phones technology which has now become almost free .

“Similarly, the mainframe and early computers were of high prices but today they are affordable.”

He  said , “as regulators we stimulate demand for digital devices and what can you do to crash your prices so more Nigerians can have access to smart devices”.

Inuwa commended Afrione for their improvement especially in the aspect of the new device.

While responding, the CEO Afrione, Suloch Raja, said the company’s smart devices “can be compared to Samsung or any other device in the world in terms of affordability and quality with a year warranty.”

Raja added that “Afrione being the first African brand and first manufacturer and assembler in Africa as of today, is also planning to introduce new devices such as laptops which could be out by the end of the year.”

 “Not a single tablet was sent back for anything regarding quality so we are confident that we will be able to get to your needs in cost and quality, slashing it down without compromising the quality,”  he said.

He noted that “The devices will have specific educational applications that are being worked on, according to institution such as universities, polytechnics and so on.”

“We are focusing on the universities and schools as of now so we can target the students in such a way that after the government subsidies, it becomes very standardized, affordable at the best price and quality and in two years, we should have a class room in each polytechnic”.

“We would love to partner with NITDA, we assure you on our quality and would love to prove it,” Raja maintained

Raja stated that “We are currently working on getting after sales service in every state, once the device has an issue in 24hours it should be repaired and we engage Nigerians in the Factory as 80% of the workers are Nigerians” CFO Afrione explained.

He also added that their initiative is to provide employment opportunities, develop skills, empower Nigerian youth and Nigerian Economy which is in line the NITDA’s mandate.

Hauwa Abu