The new Device Management System will create a central IMEI registry and enable the NCC to block illegally imported and non-compliant phones and other SIM-enabled equipment from Nigerian networks.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has launched a new registration and authentication framework for SIM-enabled devices in Nigeria, warning that unregistered devices will eventually be barred from connecting to local mobile networks.

The initiative is designed to strengthen regulatory oversight of communications equipment, tackle the circulation of illegally imported devices and ensure that products sold and used in Nigeria comply with the commission’s technical standards.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Director of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, the NCC said the new framework would establish a central registry for SIM-enabled devices operating in the country.

Under the new system, all SIM-enabled communications equipment brought into Nigeria will be required to undergo registration and authentication before being sold. Devices that fail to meet the registration requirements will not be permitted to operate on Nigerian telecommunications networks.

The commission said the initiative forms part of its efforts to improve compliance with its Type Approval requirements, which require communications equipment imported, marketed or used in Nigeria to meet prescribed technical and regulatory standards.

At the centre of the new framework is the Device Management System (DMS), a technology-driven platform designed to automate the monitoring and verification of communications devices.

According to the NCC, the system will allow it to electronically determine whether SIM-enabled devices comply with applicable Type Approval requirements.

“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 commission said.

The NCC said the DMS would also strengthen the integrity of Nigeria’s communications device ecosystem by improving compliance with technical standards, supporting better network performance and making it easier for regulators to identify devices that do not meet the required specifications.

Legal basis for device registration

The commission said the initiative is backed by Section 132(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, which requires licensed service providers, equipment manufacturers and suppliers to obtain Type Approval from the NCC before communications equipment can be sold or used in Nigeria.

The NCC has already commenced the first phase of the automated Type Approval compliance framework.

As part of the process, the commission is working with the Nigeria Customs Service, original equipment manufacturers, importers and relevant market associations.

The initial phase will focus on registering devices already held in stock while ensuring that newly imported SIM-enabled devices are registered and authenticated before entering the Nigerian market.

The commission said the system would provide regulators with a more effective mechanism for identifying non-compliant or illegally imported equipment before such devices become widely used on Nigerian networks.

Central IMEI database

The NCC’s Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Edoyemi Ogoh, said the Type Approval Business Rules issued in August 2024 provided the foundation for establishing a Central Equipment Identity Register.

The register will maintain records of SIM-enabled devices through their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers.

Ogoh explained that following the issuance of the rules, the commission carried out extensive consultations with stakeholders and conducted market studies before designing and deploying the new system.

“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,” Ogoh said.

He added that the central registry would help the NCC determine whether devices entering and operating in the Nigerian market meet the required technical and regulatory standards.

Unregistered devices to face network restriction

Ogoh stressed that registration would be mandatory for all SIM-enabled communications 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 said.

The policy is expected to have a significant impact on mobile phones and other communications equipment capable of using SIM cards, particularly devices imported outside recognised regulatory and customs channels.

The NCC said the initiative is ultimately aimed at creating a more transparent and compliant device market while protecting consumers, telecommunications networks and the broader communications ecosystem from substandard and unauthorised equipment.

The commission's deployment of the DMS also marks a shift towards more technology-driven enforcement of Nigeria's telecommunications regulations, with device identification and authentication becoming central to monitoring equipment entering and operating within the country.