Mobile phone subscribers not required to submit IMEI – NCC

To deploy DMS to protect subscribers against phone theft

 

Admin l Friday, May 21, 2021

 

ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigeria Communications Commission(NCC) has said that no mobile phone subscriber is required to submit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number to it or their respective Mobile Network Operations(MNOs) as from July, 2021 contrary to  media reports.

In a statement,  Director, Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde said that at no time did the Commission issue any statement regarding the registration of IMEI by subscribers and that it has no plans to do so.

“The reports in question have emanated from a section of the Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration recently launched by President Muhammadu Buhari and which has been uploaded on the Commission’s website”, Adinde said.

According to him, the Commission is in the process of deploying a Device Management System (DMS),which he said will essentially protect subscribers against phone theft and will identify and enable the elimination of fake devices from the networks.

“The system will capture IMEI automatically without any requirement for subscribers to submit same”, he said,  and advised the general public to disregard the said publications, which have created the erroneous impression that telephone subscribers will be required to register their IMEI with their networks.