The telecom regulator says type approval and device identification checks are intended to protect users and network performance.
The Nigerian Communications Commission has defended its device verification initiative as a consumer-protection and technical compliance measure, saying the system is intended to help keep counterfeit, cloned and non-compliant telecommunications equipment off Nigerian networks.
NCC Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity Edoyemi Ogoh explained the policy at a media sensitisation programme in Abuja. He said dependable telecommunications services required not only robust network infrastructure but also devices that met established safety and compatibility requirements.
Ogoh linked the commission’s authority to the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, referring specifically to Section 132(2) and the requirement for type approval of communications equipment before it is sold or used in the country. The objective, he said, is to ensure that devices operating on Nigerian networks satisfy applicable technical and regulatory standards.
The commission is seeking to verify equipment already in commercial stock and authenticate devices imported subsequently. Ogoh said stronger checks would make it easier to identify equipment that did not comply with approval requirements, including cloned or counterfeit devices, and restrict their access to networks.
He argued that the initiative could improve customer confidence, protect users from avoidable technical risks and reduce service problems linked to unsuitable equipment. The agency also expects the process to strengthen the integrity of the wider communications market.
Addressing privacy concerns, Ogoh said the regulatory system maintains identification data such as International Mobile Equipment Identity numbers. He stated that the initiative does not grant the commission access to information stored on a user’s handset or allow it to read or monitor private communications.
The NCC’s position is that device identification and equipment compliance should not be confused with surveillance of individual users. The assurances described the commission’s stated design and purpose for the initiative; they were not accompanied in the supplied report by an independent technical audit of the system.
Head of Corporate Communications Olawaiye Olasumbo asked journalists and other stakeholders to help explain the policy to the public. The commission said sustained awareness would be necessary for consumers, sellers and importers to understand the requirements and their intended protections.
