By STELLAMARIS ASHINZE

The Association of Mobile Communication Device Technicians of Nigeria (AMCODET) says the Nigeria Communications Commission-Device Management System (NCC-DMS) is a critical step toward sanitising Nigeria’s mobile ecosystem and boosting digital security.

The President of AMCODET, Mr Kehinde Apara, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.

Apara said that stolen, counterfeit and unregistered mobile phones risked being blocked from all telecom networks under the NCC-DMS.

Apara said the NCC-DMS, which was introduced under the NCC’s Type Approval Business Rule 2024, aimed at curbing mobile phone theft, eliminating fake devices and strengthening national telecoms security.

“The NCC-DMS tracks mobile devices through their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers once they connect to Nigerian mobile networks.

“All telecom operators in Nigeria, including MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9mobile, have already been mandated to integrate their networks with the NCC-DMS platform.

“When any phone connects to a Nigerian network, its IMEI is automatically captured and synchronised with local and international IMEI databases.

“This means many Nigerians are already captured on the system automatically once they use their SIM cards,” he said.

Apara said one of the biggest advantages of the initiative was its ability to render stolen phones unusable after blacklisting.

“Once a stolen phone is reported and blacklisted, it will no longer function across Nigerian mobile networks. This will be a major deterrent against phone theft,” he said.

The AMCODET boss added that the system would also help authorities detect cloned, substandard and illegally imported devices capable of affecting network quality and consumer safety.

He said that it had become mandatory for all device suppliers and importers to register type-approved phones before distributing them into the Nigerian market.

He warned that devices not captured within the NCC-DMS framework could eventually face network restriction or blacklisting.

Apara said: “Though the NCC has indicated plans for individual device registration, no public self-service portal has been unveiled yet.

“For now, registration is largely happening automatically through telecom operators and device suppliers,” he said.

Apara urged consumers to purchase only NCC-approved devices to avoid future service disruption.

According to him, AMCODET remains in close engagement with the NCC, providing technical expertise in device repair and maintenance technology to support implementation of the initiative.

He stressed that the system was particularly commendable and a huge relief for its members, who in the process of their work may be implicated in issues of theft, counterfeit or illegally imported phones. (NAN)

Update news