The Nigerian Communications Commission has registered about 231 million telecommunications devices in Nigeria as it rolls out a verification system aimed at blocking counterfeit, cloned and unauthorised phones from accessing mobile networks.

The initiative is designed to strengthen consumer protection, enhance network quality and improve regulatory oversight of mobile devices imported into and sold in the country.

The Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the NCC, Edoyemi Ogoh, disclosed this during a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday on the implementation of the Device Checker and Type Approval Compliance framework.

Ogoh said the commission had automatically registered devices already connected to Nigerian telecommunications networks, adding that existing subscribers would not need to take any additional steps to verify their phones.

“We had already registered about 231 million devices across the country. And those devices, basically, you don’t have to do anything. The subscriber does not have to do anything,” he said.

However, newly introduced devices must comply with the commission’s verification requirements before gaining access to telecommunications networks.

The NCC said it would not disconnect devices that were already connected to mobile networks before the system became operational, even if they do not meet the current approval standards.

“We are not blacklisting those that have come up before this,” Ogoh said.

He added that the framework would prevent further non-compliant devices from entering Nigeria’s telecommunications ecosystem.

The commission is also collaborating with the Nigeria Customs Service, manufacturers, importers and dealers to verify devices before they are introduced into the Nigerian market.

The system will allow regulators to track importers, import dates and device volumes, strengthening enforcement efforts against counterfeit products.

Ogoh said counterfeit and defective devices could contribute to poor telecommunications service quality, explaining that some equipment interferes with network infrastructure and affects other subscribers connected to the same cell site.

He noted that the commission’s assessments had identified device-related issues, alongside infrastructure constraints, insecurity, flooding and other factors, as challenges affecting network performance.

The verification framework is designed to help the regulator identify non-compliant devices and prevent more of them from entering the Nigerian telecommunications market.

Addressing privacy concerns, Ogoh emphasised that the system was not intended to monitor subscribers’ personal information.

“It is not a surveillance tool and does not provide access to personal information stored on devices,” he said.

He explained that the system uses device identification data and does not access subscribers’ private information, including messages, photographs, contacts or financial records.