The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced that Nigerians will have to submit the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of their phones to the commission from July.
The agency said the requirement is part of the commission’s Revised National Identity Policy for SIM registration launched recently by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The development is part of the implementation of the Device Management System (a Centralised Equipment Identity Register) by the NCC.
Consequently, the implementation will be from July to September, 2021.
The policy reads: “With the aim to curtail the counterfeit mobile phone market, discourage mobile phone theft, enhance National Security, protect consumer interest, increase revenue generation for the government, reduce the rate of kidnapping, mitigate the use of stolen phones for crime, and facilitate blocking or tracing of stolen mobile phones and other smart devices, one of the means to achieve this is through the deployment of Device Management System.
“The implementation of a Centralised Equipment Identity Register otherwise known as Device Management System will serve as a repository for keeping records of all registered mobile phones’ International Mobile Equipment Identity and owners of such devices.
“IMEIs that have been reported as either stolen or illegal will be shared through the DMS to all the operators and service providers.”
