The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commenced the registration and authentication of SIM-enabled devices in Nigeria as part of efforts to identify illegally imported and non-compliant communications equipment.
The telecoms regulator said on Wednesday that the initiative would establish a central registry for SIM-enabled devices operating in the country and make registration mandatory for such equipment before it can be sold.
Under the new framework, devices that are not registered will not be permitted to operate on Nigerian mobile networks.
The NCC disclosed this in a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, titled, “NCC Strengthens Type Approval Compliance for SIM-Enabled Devices in Nigeria.”
According to the Commission, the initiative is designed to strengthen compliance with its Type Approval requirements, which ensure that communications equipment imported, sold and used in Nigeria meets prescribed technical and regulatory standards.
The regulator said it was deploying a technology-driven framework that would enable it to electronically verify whether SIM-enabled devices comply with its Type Approval requirements.
At the centre of the initiative is the Device Management System (DMS), which will provide the technological infrastructure for automated compliance monitoring and strengthen regulatory oversight of the communications device market.
“The initiative is intended to make Type Approval compliance more efficient, consistent, and effective by enabling the Commission to electronically determine Type Approval compliance of SIM-enabled devices,” the NCC said.
The Commission added that the DMS would strengthen the integrity of the communications device ecosystem by improving adherence to technical standards, enhancing network performance and facilitating the identification of non-compliant equipment.
The initiative is anchored on Section 132(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, which requires licensed service and facilities providers, equipment manufacturers and suppliers to obtain Type Approval from the NCC before communications equipment can be sold or used in Nigeria.
The NCC said it had commenced the first phase of the automated Type Approval compliance framework and was engaging the Nigeria Customs Service, original equipment manufacturers, importers and relevant market associations.
The initial phase will focus on registering existing devices held in stock and ensuring that new devices imported into Nigeria are registered and authenticated.
The Commission said the process would provide a more effective mechanism for detecting non-compliant and illegally imported devices before they become widely deployed.
The NCC’s Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Edoyemi Ogoh, said the Type Approval Business Rules issued in August 2024 provided the regulatory basis for establishing a Central Equipment Identity Register.
The register will maintain records of SIM-enabled communications devices in Nigeria using their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers.
“Following the issuance of the Rules, the Commission commenced extensive stakeholder engagements and market studies, which informed the eventual design and deployment of the system,” Ogoh said.
He explained that a central IMEI registry would enable the regulator to determine whether devices entering and operating in Nigeria meet the required standards.
“By establishing a central registry of the International Mobile Equipment Identity numbers of devices in Nigeria, the Commission will be better positioned to ensure effective and efficient compliance with its Type Approval requirements and to ensure that devices imported into, sold and used in Nigeria meet the applicable standards,” he added.
Ogoh said registration would become mandatory for SIM-enabled devices entering the Nigerian market.
“With the deployment of this system, all SIM-enabled communications devices brought into the country must be registered before they are sold. Devices that are not duly registered will not be permitted to operate on Nigerian networks,” he noted.
The move is expected to affect mobile phones and other communications equipment capable of using SIM cards, particularly devices brought into Nigeria outside recognised importation and regulatory channels.
