The Nigerian Communications Commission has commenced the registration and authentication of SIM-enabled devices in Nigeria as part of a new enforcement framework to identify illegally imported and non-compliant communications equipment.
The telecoms regulator said on Wednesday that the initiative would create a central registry of devices operating in the country and require SIM-enabled equipment brought into Nigeria to be registered before being sold.
Under the framework, unregistered devices will not be allowed 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 part of efforts to strengthen compliance with its Type Approval requirements, which ensure that communications devices imported, sold and used in Nigeria meet prescribed technical and regulatory standards.
The regulator said it was deploying a technology-enabled framework that would allow it to electronically determine whether SIM-enabled devices comply with its Type Approval requirements.
At the centre of the framework is the Device Management System, which will provide the technological infrastructure for automated compliance monitoring and improve regulatory oversight of Nigeria’s 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.
It added that the DMS would help strengthen the integrity of the communications device ecosystem by improving compliance with technical standards, enhancing network performance and making it easier to identify non-compliant equipment.
The initiative derives its regulatory basis from 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 the country.
The commission 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 first phase will focus on registering existing devices already held in stock and ensuring that new devices imported into Nigeria are registered and authenticated.
According to the NCC, the process would give it a more effective mechanism for detecting non-compliant and illegally imported devices before they become widely used.
Speaking on the implementation, 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 foundation 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 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 establishing a central IMEI registry would enable the regulator to determine whether devices entering and operating in the Nigerian market 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 the new system would make registration a requirement 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 could affect mobile phones and other communications equipment capable of using SIM cards, particularly devices brought into the country outside recognised import and regulatory channels.
The commission also expects the system to provide additional tools for dealing with stolen devices.
“Beyond improving Type Approval compliance, the technology will help address some of the wider challenges associated with the device market. Illegally imported and non-compliant devices will be easier to identify, while devices reported stolen can be blocked from use across Nigerian mobile networks,” Ogoh said.
Blocking a device through its IMEI could prevent it from connecting to participating mobile networks even when the SIM card inside the device is replaced.
The NCC, however, sought to address potential privacy concerns arising from the establishment of a central database of devices.
Ogoh said the platform was designed specifically for device identification and Type Approval compliance and would hold identification information such as IMEI numbers.
He stressed that the system would neither give the commission access to the content stored on subscribers’ devices nor provide a mechanism for monitoring their personal communications.
The regulator said the automated system was expected to strengthen consumer confidence in devices sold in Nigeria while helping to ensure that equipment connected to telecommunications networks complies with established technical standards.
The implementation also brings customs authorities, device manufacturers and importers into the compliance process, potentially allowing regulators to identify improperly registered equipment earlier in the distribution chain.