By JESSICA DOGO

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it is strengthening monitoring and enforcement of Type Approval requirements for SIM-enabled communication devices in Nigeria.

The commission disclosed this in a statement issued by its Director of Public Affairs, Mrs Nnena Ukoha, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ukoha said that the initiative would make Type Approval compliance more efficient, consistent and effective through a technology-enabled framework.

She said that the Device Management System (DMS) would serve as the technology platform supporting the automated compliance framework, enabling the commission to electronically determine Type Approval compliance of SIM-enabled devices.

According to her, the initiative is aimed at ensuring that communication devices imported, sold and used in Nigeria meet applicable technical and regulatory standards.

She said that Section 132(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 required 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 strengthen the integrity of the communications device ecosystem by improving compliance, enhancing network performance and facilitating the identification of non-compliant devices.

She said that the framework would also strengthen consumer confidence in devices sold and used in the country.

“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 (OEMs), importers and relevant market associations.

“This phase focuses on onboarding existing devices currently held in stock,” she said

She said that 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, 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 that the CEIR would maintain a registry of International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers of SIM-enabled communications devices in Nigeria, following extensive stakeholder engagements and market studies by the commission.

He said all SIM-enabled communications 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.

He said 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.

He said that 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)