The text arrived on Saturday morning from a sender called "NCC-Checker". For many Nigerians, it carried an unsettling message: the phone in their hand "is not verified for use on Nigerian mobile networks", and it has 30 cumulative days before disconnection.
Some of the people who got it bought their phones abroad. Others bought them from shops in Lagos or from big online stores. Reports so far show iPhones, Tecno, Infinix, Oukitel and Google Pixel models among the flagged devices, including an iPhone 17 Pro bought from Tesco in the UK and an Oukitel phone ordered on Jumia, according to BusinessDay.
The Nigerian Communications Commission says devices that are not type approved and registered will not be allowed to work on Nigerian networks. Flagged users have 30 days to sort it out.
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What Is Happening
The alerts come from the NCC's Device Management System (DMS). It is a central register that records every SIM-enabled device, including phones, tablets, POS terminals and routers, by its IMEI number, the unique 15-digit code each device carries.
The legal basis is Section 132 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, which requires communications equipment to get Type Approval from the NCC before it is sold or used in Nigeria. The commission set up the register under Type Approval Business Rules issued in August 2024.
In an official NCC statement, Engr. Edoyemi Ogoh, the commission's Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, said "all SIM-enabled communications devices brought into the country must be registered before they are sold." He added: "Devices that are not duly registered will not be permitted to operate on Nigerian networks."
Why the NCC Is Doing This
The commission says the goal is to keep fake, substandard and smuggled devices off its networks, and to make it possible to block phones reported stolen across every network. An NCC official told BusinessDay the exercise is not aimed at any particular brand or model, and that there is no need for panic.
The NCC also says the DMS only stores device identity data such as IMEI numbers. According to the commission, the system does not give access to what is on your phone and does not monitor your calls or messages.
How to Check Your Phone
- Dial *315# on the phone you want to check.
- Choose option 1, "Check this device".
- Read the reply. An approved phone gets a message saying it is NCC Type Approved and verified for use on Nigerian networks.
If you get a warning, contact the shop or vendor that sold you the phone first, and ask them to confirm that the device's IMEI has been registered. If you are buying a new or used phone this month, run the *315# check before you pay.
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What About Phones Bought Abroad?
This is the big gap right now. Millions of Nigerians use phones sent by relatives abroad, bought on trips or bought secondhand. The NCC says it will publish a registration process for people who bought devices legitimately overseas or through private sales. "The Commission in the coming days will roll out a procedure for whoever has bought a phone privately," an NCC official told BusinessDay. As of Monday, the steps had not been published.
Phone traders are uneasy as well. In September, the Association of Mobile Phones and Allied Products Traders of Nigeria rejected the registration fees on newly imported devices, according to Technext, while saying it does not oppose the DMS itself. Its president, Musa Haruna Mamza, warned that vendors could pass the cost on to buyers through higher prices for phones, routers, POS machines and tablets.
What This Means for You
For most people with phones bought from authorised dealers, nothing should change. Dial *315#, confirm your status and move on.
If your phone is flagged, do not panic and do not throw it away. You have 30 cumulative days, the NCC says a registration route for privately bought phones is coming, and your vendor may be able to fix the problem. POS agents and small businesses should check their terminals and routers too, because the rules cover every SIM-enabled device, not just phones.
And if you are shopping for a phone, especially a cheap online deal or a "UK used" one, make the *315# check part of the purchase.
The NCC's message is clear: in Nigeria, your phone now needs papers too. Check yours today, before the 30 days run out.
