President Muhammadu Buhari, presenting a Made in Nigeria Android phone produced by the Industrial Training Fund. (Credit : Femi Adesina)
By Marie-Therese Nanlong
Jos – Plans are underway to commence mass production of the ITF Mobile Android GSM smart phone recently presented to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The mass production is in preparatory for the introduction of the said phone into the market.
The Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund, ITF, Sir Joseph Ari who disclosed the development said, “Plans are at an advanced stage to ensure commencement of the mass production of the smart phone, making it available and affordable, which in turn will expand the GSM phone market and create more jobs in the process.
“We are presently putting processes in place with the relevant regulatory agencies towards quality assurance, legal framework and intellectual rights amongst others. Our vision is to create a mass production hub that will churn out products that will be available to all Nigerians.”
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While commending the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for its policies of encouragement of innovation and creativity and for its initiatives that gave birth to this breakthrough, he appealed for increased funding for the ITF to ensure full actualisation of its mandate.
Ari, according to a statement by Suleyol Chagu, Director, Public Affairs Department also commended the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo and his counterpart, Ambassador Mariam Katagum, for providing qualitative leadership that has unleashed innovativeness and creativity of agencies and parastatals under the ministry.
The DG added that the ITF mobile phone, which was comparable in quality to any other brand of Android Phone in the world, was assembled by the ITF Model Skills Training Centre (MSTC), Abuja, as part of the implementation of the vision of the incumbent Management of the ITF with particular emphasis on research and development.
His words, “The ITF Mobile Phone was produced with 100 percent locally sourced material. And for me, this breakthrough is proof that given the enabling environment and opportunities, Nigerians will unleash their creative potentials.
“In terms of quality and performance, our phone is comparable or even superior to most Android phones currently in our markets.”
