NCC Registers 231mn Devices; Launches Verification System to Curb Fake Phones
By Patience Ikpeme
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has registered about 231 million telecommunications devices nationwide as it rolls out a new device verification framework intended to block counterfeit, cloned and unapproved phones from accessing mobile networks.
Announcing the move at a media briefing in Abuja, Edoyemi Ogoh, Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, said the Device Checker and Type Approval Compliance system automatically captured existing devices already operating on Nigerian networks, so current subscribers need take no action.
New devices, however, must meet NCC verification requirements before gaining network access. “We had already registered about 231 million devices across the country. And those devices, basically, you don’t have to do anything,” Ogoh said, adding that devices connected before the framework became fully operational will not be disconnected retrospectively.
“We are not blacklisting those that have come up before this,” he said, stressing this approach protects consumers who bought phones prior to the verification rollout.
The NCC said the initiative aims to strengthen consumer protection, improve network quality and enable regulators to trace devices imported and sold in Nigeria.
The framework will allow identification of importers, dates of importation and quantities for individual devices, supporting enforcement against suppliers of counterfeit products.
Ogoh said the commission is working with the Nigeria Customs Service, manufacturers, importers and dealers to ensure imported devices are authenticated before entering the market.
He said the move follows the introduction of Type Approval Business Rules in August 2024 and extensive industry consultations, and is grounded in Section 132(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, which requires regulatory approval for telecom equipment sold or used in Nigeria.
Explaining the network-quality rationale, Ogoh said counterfeit or faulty devices can impair infrastructure by generating interference that affects other subscribers using the same cell site.
The NCC’s assessments found device-related issues alongside infrastructure deficits, insecurity and flooding as factors that degrade service.
Consumers can verify approval status by dialing *315# or visiting the NCC Device Checker portal, and can retrieve a device’s International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) by dialing *#06#. Subscribers who discover unverified devices are advised to contact sellers for replacements; unresolved complaints may be reported via the commission’s toll-free 315 helpline.
Addressing privacy concerns, Ogoh said the verification system uses device identification information only and does not provide access to messages, photos, contacts or financial records. “It is not a surveillance tool,” he said.
Nnenna Ukoha, Head of Public Affairs, described the initiative as central to improving telecommunications safety and consumer protection, and asked journalists to help educate the public about the regulatory changes.
Olasumbo Olawaiye, Head of Corporate Communications, called for sustained media engagement and thanked journalists for their participation, inviting further enquiries through the NCC’s media relations office.
