BY MAYOWA SAMUEL
Nigerians have expressed doubts about the ability of the ITF Mobile, the newly launched locally made phone, to penetrate the local market let alone challenge any imported phone brand in terms of sales in view of the stiff competition in the market.
The Federal Government last week launched the first made-in-Nigeria cell phone which was presented to President Muhammadu Buhari by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo, in Abuja.
The phone, Adebayo said, was among the 12 locally produced mobile handsets made with various locally sourced components by the electrical/electronics technology department of the Industrial Training Fund’s Model Skills Training Centre.
While most of the telephone dealers and users who spoke to The POINT said they were not aware of the launch of the indigenous phone and hadn’t come across it, they express doubt that the phone could compete with any of the imported brands.
Most of the respondents said that the prospect of the new phone was in doubt because of lack of confidence in locally manufactured goods.
A telephone dealer, Tony Chucks said, “Nigerian made phone? Will people buy phones that are made in Nigeria? Well, when the phone gets to the market, we will be able to measure its success rate but for me, I won’t risk buying them in my store until I’m sure I will be able to sell them.”
Bright Ibosun, a phone repairer said, “I think some private companies in Nigeria have been producing phones before now. Where are their phones now? Well, we’ll see if this one will be successful. As widely known, Nigerians don’t patronize locally made goods due to lack of trust and as a result of unpalatable experience with locally manufactured products.”
A telephone user, Olaolu Bala, said he was not sure if the FG would be ready to promote the use of the locally made phone by ensuring that its officials use it or not.
He said, “The locally produced cars by Innoson, are they patronizing him? Every day, they keep importing exotic foreign made vehicles. We don’t support our own. Even phones with new brand names that are foreign, people rarely buy them, let alone a locally produced phone.”
Benedicta Eze, a phone dealer, said, “This is the first time I am hearing of it. If it is true, they should let us see the phone. It is when we see the phone that we will be able to talk about that. It is when we see its specifications and workability that we will be able to know whether it will be able to compete with foreign made brands in the market. We can’t talk about it in absentia.”
