Nigeria’s Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson Tuesday disclosed that two mobile phone manufacturers, Ghana-based RLG, and Mi-Fone will begin production in Nigeria before the last quarter of the year.

While presenting the mid-term review and achievements of her ministry at a ministerial meeting in Abuja, the minister said: “RLG Communication is setting up a $20 million  handset, PC, tablet manufacturing factory in Osun State, to commence production in July 2013.

She added: “RLG is also providing customized ICT training to Osun State youths. Mi-Fone, a ccompany that is active in 14 other African countries, is presently setting up a $30 million handset factory, and we expect production to start in 2013.”

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Mrs Johnson explained the purpose of the programme is to increase local content in Nigeria’s ICT industry and reduce the dominance of international companies.

She disclosed that foreign manufacturers control 70 percent of the country’s personal computer market and 100 percent of the mobile phone market, and account for 78 percent of mobile telecom subscribers.

The minister said that the ministry was creating an environment that would be favourable to innovation, and remove low market entry barriers as well as increase the participation of Nigerian companies to stimulate job creation in the industry.

According to her, the ministry launched a Lagos IT Incubation Centre in April 2013 while a Cross-River unit would be launched in July.

“We will have at least one of the centres in every geo-political zone by 2015,” she pledged.

She added: “My ministry will continue to work with training partners to improve locally available training and certification offerings from Cisco, Huawei, IBM and Nokia, among others.”

Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications Technology announced a $15 billion IT Innovation Fund in 2012. Mrs Johnson said it would begin operations in July.