NCC urges Nigerians to verify phones before purchase, warns against fake devices

Orisemeke Benjamin 

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has urged Nigerians to verify the approval status of mobile phones and other SIM enabled devices before purchase, as it intensifies enforcement against counterfeit and non compliant devices in the country.

The Commission said consumers could check devices through its Device Checker service by dialling *315# or visiting www.ncc.gov.ng/devicechecker.

It also assured Nigerians that phones already connected to local mobile networks before the enhanced compliance system took effect on October 7, 2026, had been automatically verified and would continue to work normally.

The Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the NCC, Engr. Edoyemi Ogoh, who gave the assurance during a media engagement on Tuesday in Abuja on the implementation of enhanced Type Approval Compliance for SIM enabled communications devices, explained the objectives of the initiative and addressed concerns about consumer privacy and possible wrongful blocking of genuine phones.

According to Ogoh, the Commission said the exercise was designed to protect consumers, improve telecommunications network quality and prevent counterfeit, cloned and other non compliant devices from accessing Nigerian mobile networks.

It explained that Type Approval was an existing regulatory requirement under Section 132(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 and the Nigerian Communications (Type Approval) Regulations 2024, rather than a new obligation.

The regulator said manufacturers, importers, suppliers and other businesses responsible for placing communications devices in the Nigerian market must comply with applicable Type Approval and device verification requirements.

The Commission said it was working with the Nigeria Customs Service, original equipment manufacturers, importers and market associations to prevent fake devices from entering the country and ensure that products already in stock were appropriately verified.

It warned that non compliant devices could undermine network performance and compromise consumers’ access to reliable telecommunications services.

The NCC also urged buyers who discover that a device they purchased does not meet the required standards to seek clarification from the seller and request a refund where appropriate.

On concerns about privacy, the Commission said the Device Checker system was designed to verify device identification information, including International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers, and did not give it access to users’ calls, text messages, photographs, contacts or other personal files.

It added that the system was not designed to track users’ locations or monitor their movements.

The Commission urged consumers to use only its official verification channels and warned them against sharing one time verification codes with sellers, callers or other persons.

It said consumers could contact the toll free number 315 for assistance with device verification and related issues.

The NCC explained that the enhanced compliance framework would help identify devices that had not met applicable requirements and strengthen regulatory oversight of the telecommunications device market.

It added that devices already in use in Nigeria, including new and second hand phones purchased locally, did not generally require consumers to take additional action, as devices connected to local networks before the system’s implementation date had been automatically verified.

However, it advised buyers of second hand phones to check their status before paying, noting that previous use on a Nigerian network did not necessarily guarantee that a device’s current verification status was acceptable.

The Commission further clarified that phones brought into Nigeria for personal use could be subject to a different verification process from devices imported commercially. Visitors using international roaming with foreign SIM cards would not be affected, while phones that had never been used in Nigeria with a local SIM could be used for up to 30 cumulative days within a year without verification, according to its guidelines.

The NCC said the compliance framework covered SIM enabled devices designed to connect to Nigerian mobile networks, including smartphones, feature phones, cellular tablets, SIM enabled laptops, point of sale terminals and eligible Internet of Things devices.

It urged manufacturers, importers, dealers, telecommunications operators and consumers to cooperate with the implementation, while calling on the media to promote public awareness through accurate and balanced reporting.

The Commission maintained that effective enforcement of Type Approval requirements was necessary to protect consumers, support fair competition and sustain confidence in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.