The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, is strengthening monitoring and enforcement of Type Approval requirements for SIM-enabled communication devices in Nigeria.
The initiative is being implemented through a technology-enabled framework designed to ensure that devices imported, sold and used in the country comply with applicable technical and regulatory standards.
Director of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, said the Device Management System, DMS, would serve as the technology platform for the automated compliance framework, enabling the commission to electronically determine whether SIM-enabled devices meet Type Approval requirements.
She said the initiative would make Type Approval compliance more efficient, consistent and effective while strengthening the integrity of Nigeria’s communications device ecosystem.
According to her, Section 132 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 requires licensed service and facilities providers, equipment manufacturers and suppliers to obtain Type Approval before communications equipment can be sold or used in Nigeria.
She said the DMS would improve compliance, enhance network performance and facilitate the identification of non-compliant devices, while also strengthening consumer confidence in devices sold and used in the country.
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“The commission has commenced the first phase of implementing the automated Type Approval compliance framework in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service, Original Equipment Manufacturers, importers and relevant market associations. This phase focuses on on-boarding existing devices currently held in stock,” she said.
Ukoha said the process would provide a more effective mechanism for identifying non-compliant and illegally imported devices before they entered widespread use.
Speaking on the rollout, 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 framework for establishing a Central Equipment Identity Register, CEIR.
Ogoh said the CEIR would maintain a registry of International Mobile Equipment Identity numbers of SIM-enabled communication devices in Nigeria, following extensive stakeholder engagements and market studies by the commission.
He said all SIM-enabled communication devices brought into the country would be required to be registered before being sold, adding that unregistered devices would not be permitted to operate on Nigerian networks.
According to him, the system would also make it easier to identify illegally imported and non-compliant devices and block stolen devices from operating across Nigerian mobile networks.
Ogoh, however, said the platform would only support device identification and Type Approval compliance and would not give the commission access to users’ device content or enable it to monitor personal communications.
NAN
