The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is strengthening enforcement of Type Approval requirements for communications devices through a technology-enabled compliance framework designed to automatically verify SIM-enabled devices operating 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 strengthening the Commission’s oversight of Nigeria’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 is expected to improve compliance with technical and regulatory standards, support network performance, identify non-compliant devices and strengthen consumer confidence in communications equipment.
The NCC has begun the first phase of implementing the automated framework in collaboration with stakeholders including the Nigeria Customs Service, original equipment manufacturers, importers and relevant market associations.
The initial phase focuses on onboarding devices already in stock while ensuring that devices imported into Nigeria in the future are properly registered and authenticated. The system is expected to give regulators 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). The register contains International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers associated with SIM-enabled communications devices in Nigeria.
Ogoh said stakeholder engagements and market studies subsequently informed the design and deployment of the automated compliance system.
Under the new framework, SIM-enabled communications devices entering Nigeria will have to be registered before they can be sold. Devices that are not properly registered will not be permitted to operate on Nigerian mobile networks.
The system is also expected to help address wider challenges within the device market. 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 NCC has clarified that the platform is intended strictly for device identification and Type Approval compliance. While the system will maintain device identification information such as IMEI numbers, it will not provide the Commission with access to the contents of users’ devices or enable monitoring of personal communications.
