The Nigerian Communications Commission has registered approximately 231 million telecommunications devices operating on Nigerian networks as it begins implementing a verification framework to prevent counterfeit, cloned and unapproved phones from accessing mobile services.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening consumer protection, improving network quality and enabling regulators to trace devices imported and sold in Nigeria.
The Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the NCC, Edoyemi Ogoh, disclosed this on Tuesday during a media briefing in Abuja on the implementation of the Device Checker and Type Approval Compliance framework.
Ogoh said devices already operating on Nigerian telecommunications networks had been automatically registered, meaning existing subscribers would not need to take additional steps to verify their phones.
“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,” he said.
However, newly introduced devices will be required to satisfy the commission’s verification requirements before gaining access to telecommunications networks.
The commission said it would not retrospectively disconnect devices that were connected to telecommunications networks before the new verification system became operational, including devices that might not meet current approval standards.
“We are not blacklisting those that have come up before this,” Ogoh said, explaining that the decision was intended to protect consumers who purchased their devices before the verification system became available.
He added that the framework would prevent additional non-compliant devices from entering the telecommunications ecosystem.
Ogoh said the checks also apply to other SIM-enabled equipment, including tablets, modems and Point of Sale terminals.
He said consumers can verify devices by dialling _315# or using the commission’s online Device Checker. The IMEI can be retrieved by dialling _#06# or checking the phone packaging.
He advised consumers to check before making payment and question sellers whose devices were not verified.
The NCC said it is collaborating with the Nigeria Customs Service, manufacturers, importers and dealers to ensure that imported devices are authenticated before entering the market, in line with Section 132(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 and Type Approval Business Rules introduced in August 2024.
