Niger Plans October Launch for Smart Phone Assembly Plant
August 24th 2026
- Niger plans to open an electronics assembly plant by the end of October to produce smartphones, computers and tablets, with construction currently 63% complete.
- The project is intended to improve access to affordable digital devices in a country where smartphone ownership remains low and device costs are a major barrier to internet adoption.
- Experiences elsewhere in Africa show that local assembly does not automatically guarantee lower prices or strong consumer demand, as locally produced devices can face higher costs and competition from established international brands.
Niger plans to open an electronics assembly plant by the end of October that will produce smartphones, computers and tablets. A government delegation including the ministers responsible for ICT and education reviewed construction progress at the site in Hamdallaye, in the Tillabéri region, on Thursday, August 20.
The initiative comes as several African countries promote local production of digital devices to reduce dependence on imports and expand access to telecom and digital services. Officials said construction is currently 63% complete.
Local Assembly and the Affordability Challenge
The cost of internet-enabled devices remains a major barrier to the adoption of digital services in Africa. By developing local assembly capacity, Nigerien authorities hope to make such devices more affordable. In a report published in December 2025, the GSMA estimated that the median price of an entry-level smartphone in sub-Saharan Africa was $39 in 2024, equivalent to 26% of average income. Affordability was considerably worse for lower-income groups, with the cost representing 64% of the income of the poorest 40% of the population and 87% of the income of the poorest 20%.
There was also a significant gender gap in affordability. A smartphone cost the equivalent of 32% of women’s income, compared with 23% for men. According to World Bank data, only 18.24% of Nigeriens aged over 15 owned a smartphone in 2024. At the same time, the International Telecommunication Union, or ITU, estimated internet penetration at 39.5%, while 58.9% of the population owned a mobile phone in 2025.
Local Assembly Still Faces Cost and Competition Challenges
While local assembly could increase the supply of affordable devices, experiences elsewhere in Africa show that significant challenges remain. According to a study by Rwandan authorities, manufacturing or assembling a phone in Africa costs about 5% more on average than producing one in China or Taiwan and importing it to the continent. The study attributed the difference largely to the cost of raw materials and labor.
Locally assembled devices also face competition from established brands. Kenya illustrates the challenge. A public-private partnership launched an affordable smartphone assembly plant there in October 2023, and in January 2026, Kenyan authorities said five million units had already been assembled. The smartphones sold for between 6,000 and 8,000 Kenyan shillings, or about $46 to $62.
However, a GSMA report noted that smartphones produced at Kenya’s EADAK plant had seen limited uptake. Some consumers viewed them as less attractive or lower in quality than models from international brands already well established in the entry-level market, including Infinix, Itel, Redmi and Vivo.
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