The Nigerian Communications Commission has given the phone trade a tool to comply with its new device rules. At a media briefing in Kano on 29 October, the NCC's Kano zonal controller, Maigana Gidado, said the commission has developed a Device Checker application that lets authorised stakeholders scan the IMEI numbers of phones and upload their details directly to its verification platform, according to Kano Focus. The aim is to make compliance easier for manufacturers, importers, distributors and dealers.
The app sits on top of rules that took effect on 7 October. Phones that were on a Nigerian network before that date are verified automatically, the NCC says. Devices brought in by importers after it must be type-approved and verified before they can use Nigerian networks, and devices confirmed not to meet the requirements, such as counterfeits, will be refused access.
How to check a phone before you buy
- Dial *315# and follow the prompts, or use the Device Checker page on ncc.gov.ng.
- If asked, enter the phone's 15-digit IMEI; dial *#06# on the phone to see it.
- A good result shows the model is type-approved and the handset is verified for Nigerian networks.
- If the check fails, do not pay until the seller resolves it. Call 315, the NCC's toll-free line, for help.
A failed check does not automatically mean a phone is counterfeit, the NCC says. Second-hand phones should be checked too, Legit.ng advises.
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The rules cover smartphones, feature phones, cellular tablets, SIM-enabled laptops, point-of-sale terminals and other devices that use mobile networks, according to Legit.ng. Sellers must confirm type approval, submit IMEI details, verify stock they already hold and submit every IMEI on phones with more than one. Equipment with unresolved compliance issues should not be sold.
Travellers have some room. Foreign SIMs on international roaming are not affected, and a phone never used in Nigeria can be used with a Nigerian SIM for up to 30 days in a year without verification. People who bought a phone abroad for their own use can verify it using their travel history, the NCC says.
Gidado said the platform is not a surveillance tool and does not access users' messages, photos, contacts or financial information. The NCC also warns that its staff will never ask for a one-time code.
