Phone Verification Exercise: NCC registers 231 million telecom devices

In a bid to rid the country of counterfeit, cloned and unapproved phones from accessing mobile networks, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said it has registered about 231 million telecommunications devices as it kickstarts phones and devices implementation and verification exercise .
The NCC said it intended to bolster consumer protection, improve network quality and help regulators track devices imported and sold in the country.

The Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the NCC, Edoyemi Ogoh, disclosed this at a media briefing on the implementation of the Device Checker and Type Approval Compliance framework in Abuja on Tuesday.

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Explaining the new phone verification system Ogoh said the commission had automatically registered devices already operating on Nigerian telecommunications networks, meaning existing subscribers do not need to take additional steps to verify their phones.

He said:“We had already registered about 231 million devices across the country. And those devices, basically, you don’t have to do anything. The subscriber does not have to do anything.”

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But he explained further that newly introduced devices must meet the NCC’s verification requirements before they can access telecommunications network services.

According to him, the Commission will not retrospectively disconnect phone devices that were already connected before the new system came to effect, including those that may not meet current approval standards.

“We are not blacklisting those that have come up before this,” Ogoh said, adding that the decision protects consumers who purchased devices when verification tools were not available.

He emphasized that the system would help prevent additional non-compliant devices from entering the telecommunications ecosystem.

He said that the commission is in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service, manufacturers, importers and dealers to authenticate devices before they enter the Nigerian market. The framework will enable regulators to identify importers, import dates and the quantities of individual devices, supporting enforcement against counterfeit products.

Ogoh stressed that the initiative comes with qqthe introduction of the Type Approval Business Rules in August 2024 and consultations with industry stakeholders. Section 132(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 requires telecommunications equipment to receive regulatory approval before it is sold or used in the country.

With the established framework, subscribers can use NCC’s verification channels to check whether their phones, tablets, modems and other SIM-enabled devices have received regulatory approval.

Subscribers can dial *315# or visit the NCC’s Device Checker portal. They can retrieve a phone’s International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number by dialling *#06#.

Consumers who discover that they have purchased unverified devices should contact their sellers for replacements. Unresolved complaints can be reported through the commission’s toll-free 315 helpline.

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