FG Directs Nigerians To Submit Phone IMEIs To NCC

Ganiyat Ganiyu

The Federal Government has directed Nigerians to submit the International Mobile Equipment Identity, IMEIs of their phones to the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC.

NCC made the announcement in the commission’s Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration.

According to NCC, network providers will be required to cross-check all phones International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) and status on a proposed Centralized Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) otherwise known as Device Management System (DMS) before allowing a device to become active on their network.

The policy read in part, “Accordingly, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has directed that the Device Management System should be implemented within three months.

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“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.”

The International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number is an international identity number used to uniquely identify a mobile phone.

The 15-digit IMEI number is an electronic fingerprint transmitted every time a phone is used, which reveals the identity of the mobile handset.