The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is strengthening enforcement of its Type Approval requirements for communications devices through a technology-enabled compliance framework designed to automatically verify SIM-enabled devices in Nigeria.
The initiative will be supported by the Device Management System (DMS), which will provide the technology infrastructure for automating Type Approval compliance and improving the Commission’s oversight of the country’s communications device ecosystem.
Under Section 132(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, licensed service and facilities providers, equipment manufacturers, and suppliers are required to obtain Type Approval from the NCC before communications equipment can be sold or used in Nigeria.
The Commission said the DMS will help improve compliance with technical and regulatory standards, support network performance, identify non-compliant devices and strengthen consumer confidence in communications equipment sold and used in the country.
The NCC has commenced the first phase of implementing the automated framework and is working with stakeholders including the Nigeria Customs Service, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), importers and relevant market associations.
The initial phase focuses on onboarding devices already held in stock while ensuring that devices imported into Nigeria going forward are properly registered and authenticated. This is expected to give the regulator greater capacity to identify non-compliant and illegally imported devices before they enter widespread use.
According to Edoyemi Ogoh, Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the NCC, the Commission’s Type Approval Business Rules issued in August 2024 established the regulatory foundation for a Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) containing the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers of SIM-enabled communications devices in Nigeria.
Ogoh said the Commission subsequently carried out stakeholder engagements and market studies that informed the design and deployment of the automated compliance system.
Under the new framework, SIM-enabled communications devices brought into Nigeria will have to be registered before they can be sold. Devices that are not properly registered will not be allowed to operate on Nigerian mobile networks.
The system is also expected to address wider challenges within the device market. The NCC said illegally imported and non-compliant devices will be easier to identify, while stolen devices reported to the relevant authorities can be blocked from operating across Nigerian mobile networks.
The Commission also clarified that the platform is intended solely for device identification and Type Approval compliance. According to Ogoh, the system will maintain device identification information such as IMEI numbers but will not give the NCC access to the contents of users’ devices or enable it to monitor personal communications.
