Device Mgt System won’t expose users’ data – NCC
By Prince Osuagwu
The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has allayed fears that its new Device Management System, DMS, designed to strengthen Type Approval compliance for mobile devices in Nigeria, could give the regulator access to users’ personal data and communications.
The Commission, in a statement by its Director, Corporate Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, maintained that the insinuation was unfounded, stressing that the platform was designed solely for device identification and regulatory compliance.
The clarification followed concerns over the Commission’s plan to electronically determine the Type Approval compliance of SIM-enabled devices through the DMS, which is being deployed to improve oversight of the country’s communications device ecosystem.
According to the NCC, the system will maintain device identification information, including the International Mobile Equipment Identity, IMEI, numbers of devices operating in Nigeria, but will not provide access to the contents of users’ devices or personal communications.
The Commission said the initiative is part of efforts to ensure that communications devices imported, sold and used in Nigeria meet applicable technical and regulatory standards.
Under Section 132(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, licensed service and facilities providers, equipment manufacturers and suppliers are required to obtain Type Approval from the Commission before communications equipment can be sold or used in Nigeria.
The NCC said the Device Management System would also help identify non-compliant and illegally imported devices, improve network performance and strengthen consumer confidence in devices sold in the country.
It added that stolen devices reported through the appropriate channels could also be identified and blocked from operating across Nigerian mobile networks.
The Commission has commenced the first phase of implementing the automated Type Approval compliance framework, working with the Nigeria Customs Service, Original Equipment Manufacturers, OEMs, importers and relevant market associations.
The first phase is focused on onboarding existing devices currently held in stock and ensuring that devices imported into Nigeria going forward are appropriately registered and authenticated.
NCC’s Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Engr. Edoyemi Ogoh, said the Type Approval Business Rules issued in August 2024 provided the regulatory framework for establishing a Central Equipment Identity Register, CEIR, which maintains a registry of SIM-enabled communications devices in Nigeria.
He said the central registry of IMEI numbers would enable the Commission to ensure that devices imported into, sold and used in Nigeria comply with applicable standards.
“With the deployment of this system, all SIM-enabled communications devices brought into the country must be registered before they are sold. Devices that are not duly registered will not be permitted to operate on Nigerian networks,” Ogoh said.
He added that the system would make it easier to identify illegally imported and non-compliant devices, while stolen devices could be blocked from use across Nigerian mobile networks.
The NCC stressed that the DMS is therefore a regulatory and device-identification tool, rather than a platform for accessing or monitoring users’ personal communications.
Vanguard News
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